Innocence Taken
by Lost-Remembrance
Summary: Something is wrong with Heero, can the others find out whats wrong with him before it takes his life any more than it already has? discontinued
1. Counting away the number of bruises

Innocence Taken

Disclaimer: I don't own a single Gundam Wing character.

Note: I don't agree to any type of abuse and hope that people who are dealing with this sort of thing know that it's not their fault at all. Nothing is wrong with you, and you need to get help. No one should have to put up with something like that that they don't deserve. Angels watch over you. Red Tail

Chapter One:

Heero looked out the star filled sky. The stars still didn't shine quite as bright as they used to. Was he that far from space he couldn't see them glow? Yes, he was. Nothing seemed to shine in his life anymore.

He couldn't do anything to stop how his life was unraveling. First, he was a Gundam pilot, trained to be the 'perfect soldier' and then he became a preventer, now he was a 'normal' high school student.

At least he wasn't the only one though; Relena and the other ex-Gundam pilots were attending the same school as him. They all had classes together, but he still tried to distance himself from them.

The sound of the door opening caught his ears. Une had sent them to live in foster families that were willing to take the boys in. They had no weapons or anything that judged them higher than normal civilians. Heero didn't even turn his head as the lights to the kitchen flickered on.

This was his least favorite time of the day. In fact, any time he was stuck in this house he felt sick. He had to though, his foster parents told him to stay home right after school; no friends over and had very strict rules. Their house wasn't lovely and fantastic, but they were in the middle class of the social ladder and status. He hated them so much.

"Where are you?" A slurred voice came from the kitchen, filling the stale air with the heavy scent of whiskey and all sorts of alcohol mixed in.

His body tensed. He stood rigid by the window, fearing to move and fearing not to move. A strong hand gripped his shoulder tightly, twisting him around as he fell on the floor.

"You worthless piece of crap! I asked you a question!" The muscular drunkard yelled between hits on the young boy.

Heero could only take the beating...the words his foster father spoke seemed to fill his hollow body, making him believe them, repeating them over and over again. Without them, he really was nothing. 'Useless, worthless, dirty, stupid...' He, in time, after he moved in with them found that he heard them repeated in his mind, over and over again. Relentlessly, even in the pitch darkness of the night.

Heero knew not to fight back, he learned that the first time. He had only gotten hurt more. Only time would stop the abuse he endured.

After the beating, he was left on the floor, broken and aching though he let out only a few grunts of pain. Each night formed bruises over bruises, making the pain even harder to bear. Sometimes it hurt even to walk. He began to wonder how long it would be until the other former Gundam pilots knew something was wrong. When his short thoughts stopped, the abuse was over, for now. Currently, the man was towering over him with a malicious glare on his face.

"Y-yes?" He questioned the towering figure when he didn't move. He felt a trickle of blood come from his lips. He had bruises on his arms, legs, hips, abdomen, chest, and a couple on his face.

His foster father made sure that no one suspected anything, making none of the bruises that noticeable to the human eye, well...nothing that could be covered up. Heero always wore a jacket. Not on the foster fathers terms, but by his own. He didn't want anyone else to know. He couldn't.

"Get to your room, boy." He made his point clear with another strike. Heero staggered off to his sanctuary. So far, as of yet, they hadn't entered his room.

He fell into a restless and horror filled sleep, trying not to aggravate his bruises and wounds anymore than he already had with the painful walk.

The next morning, the sun shone through the windows. His room was practically bare, he had a bed with a thin and worn comforter, he had clothing of his choice, thank god for that, but he was loosing weight from lack of food. And what he did eat, he used on energy for at school and to try and heal his wounded form.

He had taken it to himself to get a job, working at a department store in town. It was pretty big, in a mall where a lot of kids went to have fun. He used his paycheck to get clothing and bandages to hide some of the things that scarred him.

"Heero!" The woman's call woke him from his thoughts and he quickly dressed, grabbing his jean jacket to throw over the black T-shirt that would hide last night's beating.

"Yes, mother?" They made him call them mother and father, who knew what went on in their demented minds. He walked into the kitchen where his mother was standing there, looking at him with a scowl.

"I thought that you were suppose to do breakfast?!" She yelled. "I'm already going to be late for work now because of you and all the worthless crap I have to put up with from you!" She snarled lowly at him as she stomped over to him.

She threw a heavy punch onto his shoulder, leaving an almost instant bruise because she sported a stainless steel spatula, making more pain made from the heavy metal. Heero was shoved heavily against the wall, a picture slamming into his back, making his gasp in pain at the engravings in the woodwork that seemed to tear his muscles.

He fell to the floor, his black backpack spilling also. "Why do we even bother giving you lunch money when you can't even make breakfast for me and your father?!" She shouted at him, though he was so numb he couldn't hear her.

"I have to go to school." He told her quietly. She shoved two one-dollar bills into his face for lunch and threw him practically out the back door, making him walk the two-mile stretch to school. He didn't get a bus since his mother said to the school that she would drive him. Lies.

He took off, the electronic watch on his wrist ticking time off. He made his way to the city nearby and walked on the sidewalks, jacket over him to hide the bruises that marred his body.

Some people glanced at him oddly, noticing how he seemed to stagger a bit and seemed in pain. He kept his head down when he noticed some peoples stares, rushing painfully by them, trying to keep an emotionless expression. He couldn't let anyone find out, who would know how his foster parent's would react? For certain, he wasn't one who was willing to find out, that much was for sure.

"Hey Heero!" Duo shouted, running up to his buddy. "Heero! Heero!" He chanted all the way there, people rushing to get out of the way from the rapidly approaching teenager. "Heero!" He called one last time before catching up with his friend.

As always, Heero was dressed as usual, a jean jacket despite the hot weather of summer, a dark or black T-shirt with something written on it, and baggy jeans like what a skater would wear. "What's up man?" He shouted, knowing Heero would rarely answer back.

He hit Heero playfully, but strong enough for the perfect soldier to feel slight pain with, on the shoulder. Heero couldn't help it but let out a hiss of pain from his clenched teeth. His shoulder ached, and no wonder. That spatula could kill him if it wanted too!

"Heero?" Duo asked with a curious expression written on his face. "What's wrong?" He knew something was up, he had let out a hiss of pain, but they weren't allowed on missions, so why would he be injured?

"It's nothing." Heero answered back, fighting off the pain. 'I can't let Duo find out...' He chided himself, pushing back the pain.

"What did you do to your shoulder?" Duo questioned with concern. For the 'perfect soldier' to wince and let out a hiss of pain, it must be something.

'Come to think of it, Heero's always wearing a jacket or something with long sleeves, even in the summer. He never wears shorts anymore and—' Duo's thoughts were stopped there. Then they started again. 'He does seem thinner and less energetic. Not that he ever was, but he seems so pale and jumpy...'

"I walked into a sign yesterday." Heero told him, making it sound like the truth even though it obviously wasn't. Like he, Heero Yuy, would walk into a sign.

"Dummy!" He patted Heero hard on the back, not noticing the new look on pain on the young teenager's face. "That's something I've never heard! You, walking into a sign? That would be a Kodak moment!" He laughed loudly trying to conquer the suspicion he had and fear for his best buddy.

He glanced at his watch and then followed after Heero who had left during Duo's annoying joke. "We had better get to school, we might be late, y'know!"

"Yeah..." Heero said in his monotone voice. He would rather stay at school for ages than go back to his home. On the other hand, Duo hated school, but to Heero it was another sanctuary until the last bell rang.

Heero and Duo walked into the school building where Heero's friends and girls greeted him and Duo. The girls loved to have two cute new guys at their school, they thought it was wonderful!

Duo loved all the attention he was getting from the girls, while on the other hand, Heero hated it. Swarms of annoying dolls rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off.

"Hey!" Quatre said cheerily, dragging the two boys away. A seemingly now relieved Heero and a depressed Duo. "How are you today?"

"Fine." Heero said. 'I feel like crap though...' He mumbled under his breath, looking at the group of girls that Wufei looked like he was going to murder with his katana.

"What was that, Heero?" Quatre questioned. He felt a pain in his chest, almost constricting. He heard a little bit of what the boy said, but he wasn't sure.

Heero's head jerked back to Quatre, shocked at his mistake. "Nothing." He said in a cold voice, his emotionless mask on again as he began walking away to sit in his first classroom alone. Or someplace where he could be alone.

When he was gone, Quatre turned to Duo Maxwell. "Something is wrong with him...whenever I'm around him I get a tight pain in my chest and sometimes my whole body aches." He told the braided boy in an almost hushed voice.

Trowa, who had been trying to defend Wufei gave up and dragged the Chinese man over to the other two. "Where's Heero?" He questioned.

"He went to his first class, I think." Quatre told him.

"I'll bet anything that that guy is on the roof." Duo told them with a wicked grin. The other's smiled, placing their bets on where they thought the other teenager would be.

"Hello," Relena smiled at them; a group of guys with their mouths open drooling behind her. She turned around and sent a deadly glare and they scampered off. "Can you tell me where Heero is?"

"Roof." Duo told her curtly, looking up at the ceiling.

"First class." Quatre told her, smiling a bit at the young politician.

"In the Gymnasium training." Wufei snorted.

"Outside on the school grounds somewhere." Trowa replied last.

"Which is it?" Relena sighed. 'This is going to be another long day...'

"We don't know, we are going to check the roof first since Duo started this." Quatre told her sweetly.

"Would you mind if I were to come along?" Relena smiled softly at them, wanting to see Heero today. Not that she didn't see him everyday as it was. She was worried about him deep down, he hadn't seemed himself lately.

"No prob princess!" Duo told her cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder. She didn't even wince. Duo knew something was up. Relena was weaker than Heero, yet it seemed like...

"Duo, let's get going!" Quatre told the boy cheerfully, heading off to the roof stairs.

He sat there, looking out into the distance, he sighed, slipping his jacket off. 'No one will come here,' He told himself silently, looking at the bruises with disgust.

He felt chills run down his spine and he stared at the wound on his shoulder He managed to stop the bleeding. He always took a few bandages with him—

"Heero!" The call of Relena echoed the roof. Heero's eyes widened as he lunged for his jacket, despite the pain he had when moving his body so suddenly.

The door leading back into the building opened and Heero jerked the sleeve back onto his shoulder, grabbing his backpack while he was at it.

Relena and the other four Gundam pilots stood there. "Heero, what are you doing up here all alone?" Relena asked with concern. It was against her to ask such a personal question to him, but she was concerned.

"Nothing." Heero told them curtly, noting that the others were also waiting for his explanation.

"Well," Trowa looked from Heero down to his watch. "Social Studies is about to begin. We should get going, Heero." Trowa had Heero in his social studies class. Dorothy was there also. 'Fun, fun....' He thought grudgingly.

The platinum blonde was always talking about two people. One, Heero, and then...the other blonde. Quatre. Heero always ignored her, but her stares and demented at times mind could get annoying.

"Alright." Heero said, walking off with Trowa silently when the bell rang five seconds later.

Duo looked at Heero with a raised eyebrow. 'Did I imagine that?' He thought curiously and a little afraid.

FLASHBACK

Duo slammed the door open with his foot, getting a look from Quatre showing he was displeased with his action. Duo grinned wickedly. Relena looked around before calling the other way Heero's name. Trowa and the other's, except the braided teenager of course, looked her way also. Relena was pretty good when it came to finding Heero at times.

Duo caught a sudden movement in the corner of his eyes and looked to see Heero jerk his jean jacket sleeve up. The odd thing was, his arm was bruised and had some cuts on it.

The others, when hearing Heero shuffle for his backpack turned to see Relena greet him also happily, though Duo could tell up close that her eyes held concern.

'Why is she concerned?'

END FLASHBACK

"Well, fine then! See y'all in science!" Duo called out to the other dispatching figures that shuffled down the stairs. Relena and Quatre were heading off to music class and Wufei off to English class, muttering something about the 'injustices of grammar'. Duo himself headed off to his foreign language class, Japanese where he hoped he could, in time, speak with the quiet Wing pilot. Or former Wing pilot. The Gundams had long since been destoryed and now they could live peacefully.

He skipped merrily down the stairs, trying to quell his emotions hopelessly.


	2. Yelir's History AP Class Extra

The day went on drearily slow, especially in History AP where Kimiko was. Talk about the reincarnation of the devil. As herself, thinking (which, was it even possible Heero wondered) that she was ever-so-popular, that she should have the right to go out with him since he was gaining popularity quickly with his skills.

Luckily, Lorelei, or Lei as Heero was allowed to call her, was there to keep the demon away. At least with other demons he could pull out a gun and shoot them most of the times.

"Hey, Heero, you spacin' out on me again?" She questioned. She knew that he thought of her as just a friend, but she really liked him. She just wasn't as obsessed as those fangirls that were strating to make a club for each of the five boys (and that girl too) that transferred here. Pitiful. She grinned inwardly, laughing to her own joke almost. 'They should do it with some class, y'know?'

"No." Heero told her. "Just..." He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought again.

She sighed heavily, laying her head on his upper arm in a sign of defeat. He didn't even flinch at the warm gesture like he normally did for others. "I can't help you if you never tell me what's botherin' ya." She whispered to him.

Heero didn't say anything, just gave her a weak smile as she barely caught the shadowed, almost haunted look on his face. She grinned as the teacher looked their way and girls glared vemonously at Lei. She straigtened up and then looked at the girls direction and stuck out her tounge at them.

Heero felt a slight smile tug on his lips. He then looked at the notes he was taking, jotting down what he didn't write during this period.

Lei looked at Heero, a strange smile on her face. Heero looked at her with a glance then double-took what he was seeing. He knew that look—

"Mr. Yelir!" Lei shouted, jumping out of her seat so that her black miniskirt that frilled at the ends waved up and down. Everyone hated the dreadful teacher Mr. Yelir, who would have known what an evil teacher he was until the begin of the first day. Then, then...they took a quiz and everyone failed.

Everyone got their kicks when Lei played some sort of prank on him, that was the only thing that made the creepy class funny. Everyone's topic during lunch that day would be the prank she did that day.

"Yes," Yelir sighed heavily. "What is it, Miss Lei."

"OH MY GOD!!" She shouted, the class jerking awake from the lecture.

"What is it, Miss Lei?" He questioned further.

"I'm married?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "How DARE you imply something of that sort?!"

"Must I spell it for you, LEI?" He questioned, turning around to write 'miss' on the boards in a jerky motion. "Now what was your question?"

"Um...I...um..." She stuttered, blushing a bit. Everything seemed too quiet as they waited for her response. "Well, you see..."

"Spit it out right now!" Yelir commanded, only to get a wad of spit in his face with that action.

"You told me to spit it out." She pointed out and then looked at the teacher innocently. "I wanted to know if you knew that I knew that you didn't know that I knew that I know what the three s's in a man's life are."

Everyone blinked and the teachers seemed to try and sort everything out. Try that is.

"No, Miss Lei, I happen not to."

"Then you mustn't be a man." She muttered to the class behind his back. "I'll tell you, then!" She shouted to him, her voice too loud for the classroom as the windows shook.

Yelir cringed inwardly and outwardly at this as she began to say them. He already had a good idea on what two of them were. "They are snowballs," She stuck up a middle finger to him in counting, though they knew she did it purposefully though she seemed deep in thought. "slushies, and then slush puppies." She told them, the others knowing they got them wrong.

Until she continued her speech. "I'll leave out the last one until y'all are older." She said with crude humor, the others breaking out laughing as the teacher blushed and tried to get control over the classroom.

"Miss Lei!" He shouted, looking at her angrily.

"How can you have a civil war?" She questioned, leaving the teacher once again speechless. She looked down and saw Heero smiling a bit more and seemed more himself, well...the self she was used to.

"Lei," Heero hissed to her after she had taken her seat. The teacher went on to WWI and then Lei looked at his paper, grinning at the though.

"Hell yeah," She told him, grabbing the paper supply she always carried around.

Time for the trench wars! She quickly grabbed her and Heero's desk, spilling them over as if to take cover. The loud noise quickly dazed everyone as they looked to see the commotion.

"TAKE COVER!!!" Lei shouted as she ripped the paper open with her teeth and threw it at people as she got out a giant rubber band and used it as in a catapult.

The other students quickly did the same thing and soon two sides were against each other and the teacher was right in the middle.

"HEERO!" Lei shouted over the noise. "I THINK WE TOOK A CASUALTY!" She shouted loudly.

"Who?" He shouted back.

"THE PERSON WHO WAKLKED INTO THE DESK!" There was silence and soon people were opening fire once again, all the way until the bell rang.

Briiiiiiinnnnnggg....the bell sounded, a very disheveled teacher stood in an empty, yet very messed up classroom, swearing to all the gods and devils he knew. "LEI KANSAKI, I SWEAR—"A teacher walking by gasped and the foul language, quickly rushing off away from the insane man.

"Hey, Heero, wasn't that the best?" Lei giggled, throwing a soft punch to his still aching shoulder, noticing the way his intake of breath wasn't normal.

"Heero, what's wrong?" Lei asked with concern now in her eyes, seriousness taking over the fool she pretended to be.

"Nothing, just a...just a little sore is all." He told her somewhat quietly.

"Okay," 'What if I told you I didn't believe you and wanted to know what was wrong with you?' She wondered helplessly. She couldn't force this kind of thing out of him. She wanted him to know she would always be there for him, as a friend. She would never risk the friendship they had for the love the other girls had for him, even though they didn't even know him. Their love was shallow.

"Only science and then we get to go home, ne?" Lei sighed happily, giving Heero a much-needed Pepsi.

"Yeah..." There it was again, that haunted look. Lei looked at Heero but put up her façade instantly. "I can't wait to go home." He showed no emotion in that statement, not letting her hear the sarcasm in his voice. He dreaded going home.

Author's note: Wow, i typed this really wuick so i'm really sorry if it was more humor than angst, so i'll get back to those morbid thoughts as i can! . I'm going to take the time to thank my reviewers now, thanks y'all! It's so great to know i'm loved! Rekkaboziegirl, i really hope you update 'Sacrafices' now that i have updated!

Um...to all the people who know me in person, take a guess who the teacher is (.) some ideas were based off my social studies teacher (actually all of the funny ones and not the teacher)

i'm so happy that people liked this story and i will update as much as possible! Yeah! punches into the air! Homecoming is coming up real soon and my weekend is really busy, but i will try my best for all you people! I love you all! Auf Weidersehen (I"m gettin' pretty good german, thank's german teacher Herr S.! maybe i should make a WWII fanfic...hmmm....) Red Tail

the next chapter will be up as soon as my computer works. check for updates sometime the week, i'll go back to the morbid angst. i have to warn though that the next chapter will have alot of abuse in it, so now cryin' kay? -


	3. Doctor's Appointment

The bell rang, freeing the students from the boring history class as they all headed like cattle to the cafeteria. Heero smiled a little bit at the jokes that Lei tried to make him laugh at. Some of them were light humor, others...not quite funny at all.

"Okay, here's another one; 'I don't drink, I don't smoke and I don't cuss'." She told him with a smirk when she thought about the next line; "Damnit, I left my cigarettes at the bar'!" She said with drama and made Heero laugh a little as she accidentally hit a student. She mimicked what she just did "accidentally" hitting the student again.

"Hey, Heero!" Duo called, rushing up and even leaping over a couple of unfortunate students.

"Hi." Heero said with no emotion. He felt a tinge of pain rush through his back when a student pushed into him.

Quatre looked up, realizing the person he had run into was none other than the former Wing pilot and was even more surprised when he felt a jab of pain rush through his spine, stopping him in his tracks.

"Quatre," Heero seemed to be forcing himself to speak but none other than Quatre noticed it, or felt it.

"Hi, Quatre!" Lei said cheerfully, smiling at him. "So what's up with you? Where's Trowa? Where's that Relena girl or something?" Lei questioned to Quatre all at the same time.

Quatre looked confused for a moment and let everything register despite Lei's fast-talking. She seemed to do it purposely at times. "I'm quite good myself. Trowa is right," He pointed to a tall figure making his way through a clearing crowd in front of him. "Behind me, or was." He muttered a little bit in the end. Obviously he wasn't used to such crowds. "And Relena--"

A hand landed on Lei's shoulder, making her tense and grab the hand, twirling her predator in front of her. "And I am right here." Relena hissed, not taking much to the fact that Lei got to be closer to Heero than her. "Where's Heero?" She questioned with a glare at Lei.

Lei raised an eyebrow and then glared a little before putting on her clown mask. "Are you blind or deaf? He's right behind me, silly!" She laughed, Relena looked up, surprised to see Heero standing by the door, about to enter the cafeteria.

"Hey, Heero!" Duo came running up as Trowa finally made his way to the group of friends. "Whatchya doin'?" He shouted loudly.

"Nothing." Heero muttered, looking at his watch before getting up from the spot of the doorframe he was leaning on. "I have to go."

"Where?" Lei questioned when she saw Heero walking off.

"Somewhere." He told her before heading off to the doors that lead outside of the school.

"That guy is still so mysterious to me." Duo sighed, wondering where Heero was going off to during school. He looked out the window and saw a car come and pick up the teenager, the person driving none other than his mother, or foster mother.

"Yeah, you would think that after fighting a--" Wufei threw in as he approached before clamping his mouth shut when Lei raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever," Lei muttered grudgingly. She turned and walked over to her table with all her hyper friends who were in the middle of having a debate over whether or not soldiers of OZ and Romefeller should be allowed to be citizens after what they did and turn away from the bloody road they chose.

"They should be! Everyone has scars from battle, they shouldn't be any different! They were fighting for a good cause! Whether to protect their family or to protect something else!" Someone argued.

"They shouldn't, how can you say that? They killed so many people! If they wanted to protect their family, then why didn't they stay and protect them instead of running off to join a war!?" Another threw back almost immediately.

Lei sat down quietly and the debate stopped as her friends looked at her. "Hey, whazzup Lei-lei?" Tom, one of her friends questioned teasingly. "Boy problems?"

"Are you forgetting that you yourself are a guy?!" Another one of Lei's friends threw back.

"Hey, do you know where Heero is?" Jake asked, ruffling his dark brown hair that was spiked a little bit. "We got a football game in two days and need to get working on the plays." He said almost to himself.

"Heero's not here; he got early dismissal."

"Aww.... He's so lucky!" An thus the day continued on in the lunch room, ending up with people covered in ketchup and other miscellaneous food items that had been tossed about in a quarrel.

"How was school?" His mother asked tersely as she clutched the steering wheel tightly to not slap her son for being so late though it was her who was late.

"It was good." Heero said dully yet cautiously. He always had to be on his guard now. No matter what.

"Did you have lunch yet?" His foster mother questioned further.

"No," He said, getting what she was hinting at. He dug through his pockets and produced two crinkled two one-dollar bills. "Here." He put the bills into her purse.

She didn't say anything in response; not even a slight thank you or tilt of her head. "Dr. Karnagy is going to be in today, I couldn't schedule it any other day." She hissed out of her teeth. Everyone but Dr. Karnagy could be bribed with the family's extensive power and wealth.

Heero bowed his head. 'Great, an even crappier day...' His mind muttered to himself. He took a sharp intake of breath when they hit a bump and the mother's eyes widened as she swerved off onto the side of the road, cars that zoomed by rocking the car back and forth with the velocity of them.

His foster mother's eyes held both fury and a sort of fear or something. She put the car into park and quickly undid her seat belt as she made her way quickly to her foster son. She lifted his brown unruly bangs and checked his faces for any bruises and found a couple, quickly pulling out her makeup and got some cover up from her purse and applied the substance to hide the bruises.

She fumbled around for something and took out a syringe. Heero backed up, unsure of the liquid that the syringe held within it.

"Get your ass over here." She hissed. "This stuff should work almost immediately. It should numb your body and hopefully none of the doctor's will think that the bruises are from..." She wandered off from her sentence and quickly jabbed it in Heero's arm as he winced and tried pulling away but only got more pressure applied to his arm.

"Good, now buckle up, we are going to be late." She muttered to him, toying with her hair a little bit and putting some strands back into place. She put the car into drive and pulled off into the traffic, heading to the doctor's office in a rush.

She got there in no time, traffic wasn't a big deal whether the city was big or not. She stopped the car and then pulled the keys out the ignition, drawing a swift breath as she looked at her son who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Get up," She commanded as she opened the door and he got out a little stiffly and seemed a little sluggish with his limps. 'The medication is working...' Her mind noted subconsciously. 'Good.'

She was still worried, no doubt about that. Karnagy was sly, almost as cunning as they were. She had a lot of power also, in the medical department and the world. She, in fact, had known Une personally during the war. There was suppose to be a specialist from the Preventer's here today to check on all the patients, 'perfect.' She thought grudgingly.

"Let's go," She smiled to her son warmly, fooling the people walking around who smiled warmly in return to her. Some nodded their head in their direction, some waved, and others smiled.

"All right." Heero said, following her through the double glass doors.

"Ah," A woman with blue eyes turned and flicked some blonde stands out of her face that came out of her loosely done bun. "Heero." She smiled in her direction and grabbed a folder with his name printed on it with the foster family's last name printed on it too. "Please come this way, I was just about to call your name,"

Heero nodded in an almost jerky motion and then followed the doctor, his foster mother pacing over to the waiting room and glancing nervously around while trying to calm her demeanor. The doctor's office was actually also a hospital, so there was never any shortage in rooms.

The doctor, Fayte Karnagy, opened a door and led the young teenager into the room. She silently noted how he seemed more sluggish and his limps were slower on the reaction time it seemed, odd for a football player. "And how are you?"

"Fine." Heero lied. He was a good liar at least.

The doctor nodded and told him to take off his shoes as she brought out a scale. Heero got on the scale as usual. The doctor made a 'tsk' sort of noise. Heero looked at her, as if expecting an explanation. "Heero, you've dropped some pounds, about five!" She said blinking at the chart as if to confirm. He did seem a little thinner than a normal teen was suppose to be at his age when she first saw him, but he was already thin as it was though he was at least in shape.

Heero looked away and obeyed her command when she told him to take off his shirt. She took out a stethoscope and took his pulse and noted how it was slower than normal, as though his body was numb and was cutting off some blood flow. She furrowed her brow slightly.

She lifted up Heero's bangs, looking as she noticed some blotches of what looked like make up. She had always suspected something of the family that Heero was currently living with. She took a sterile wet cloth and wiped it across his face, some bruises appearing on his face.

She furrowed her brows once again and then picked up the knee hammer thing and brought it down on his knee, noticing how his knee didn't moved at all. She poked some of his bruises and took off the bandages to some of his cuts and all, wrapping them and treating those that were infected. He had a little of a fever and his body seemed too cold, yet his face was flushed.

"Heero," The doctor said, startling Heero from whatever place in his mind he found himself straying to and quickly met her eyes. She held an empty needle. "I'll need to take some blood and you'll have to spend the night. I need to get rid of your fever." She told him softly, noting how his fever had risen.

"All right." He managed as he let her push his body against the cool white sheets. She smiled and took some blood samples and then left the room to deliver it to the lab.

"Oh, Dr. Karnagy!" A woman with twin golden plaits said as she bumped into the good doctor. The vials of blood almost spilled and shattered onto the hard tile floor.

Karnagy's bun came loosed as she looked up to see the Preventer's representative. As leading hospital in the nation, they were to be under certain inspections as well as their patients held under their roof currently. "Oh, good to see you too." She mumbled, regaining her composure.

She flagged down a nurse and called her over to deliver the blood to the lab so she could discuss the events and patients in the hospital with her superior.

"Whose blood is that, vampire girl?" The Preventer teased.

"Someone who is going to stay the night for sure here. I feel so sorry for him, he's been drugged I believe." She whispered to the representative.

"Is that so, let me guess, teenager?" The woman questioned with a smart intellect.

"Yeah," She looked at the person, being quite familiar with the representative. "Sally, you can go and check up on him in a sec, I have to put some sedatives into him before he gets restless." She gave the vials to the nurse to send to the lab and dragged Sally Po off to the room.

"So, what this patients name? You seem quite fond of him." Sally pointed out.

"Heero Yuy." Sally blinked in shock as the handle to the heavy oak door slowly turned.

TBC

Author's note:

. I hope that y'all liked it a lot! The angst is yet to begin! I'm so happy that this story has so many reviewers that it inspired me to write this as fast as I could! I just couldn't resist. Your reviews make me feel to warm and fuzzy inside!

To my reviewers:

-tarigarma12: We can all take a vote to see what type of story this would be. i never really though about the pairings. So please readers tell me what you would like in your reviews; 1XR, !Xother pilot, 1X2, 1Xother character. I might do them, I might not (i'm not very good at romance).

-gundam girl: Would those girls be the people that flock over him? If so...possibly, but currently i believe he is suffering from depression. The verbal and physical abuse he's recieving is getting to his mind. After a certain while, some people can believe what people yell at them that it's their fault, etc.

-A Minor Pentatonic, Vahsh-daughter, & Jinglebells: Thank you for the compliment!

-Rekkaboziegirl, blade the dragonwolf, yuniestwin: I will update, i'm just so happy that people like my story!

Thankyou everyone for making me happy with your reviews and i hope you liked this chapter! Red Tail


	4. Missing MVP?

Heero's breath came in shallow gasps almost as he could almost feel the fiery drug burning through his body, numbing anything that he would have felt. He longed for that feeling; to know the pain and know that he was real. Without it he was just a shadow, soon to vanish when the sun comes. The antidote as the doctor said was working its way through his body, trying to stop the overdose's effect on the young teenager aging sixteen.

He faintly heard the doorknob turn but he couldn't think. Everything was a blur and he felt as though he was rushing through his life as his eyes drooped with exhaustion. Why was he fighting the drug in the first place, didn't he want to die?

"Heero Yuy." Dr. Karnagy told the young Preventer who looked to be in her late nineteen's. "Yes, he's been my patient for a while." She told her almost quietly as the door swung open.

Sally stared at the person in the bed, a white linen sheet covering his blue, almost black faded loose jeans. He had bruise marring his torso and some on his face. His chest rose up and down unevenly, though he clearly was dead to his surroundings.

'Heero...' Sally's mind thought, yet it came out in a whisper as the doctor turned to look at her friend.

"Acquaintance?" She questioned, hoping for an answer.

Sally shook her head to clear the swirling thoughts that rebounded on her each time for an unanswered one. "I'm not an acquaintance." She told the young and highly trained doctor as she saw her pluck a golden stand and put it up into the loose bun she once again sported. "I'm an old friend."

The doctor raised a questioning eyebrow to this. "Friend, then you should have known of his condition." She muttered uneasily. This sort of situation she had never been trained to experience in Medical school. It wasn't every day that a Preventer knew one of her patients personally.

"I haven't heard from him or the other's for a while." Sally said moving from the spot she positioned herself in.

"It looks like he's coming to, the drug I gave him should have counteracted the effects of the drug he was given." Karnagy said softly as she saw Heero wince in some sort of pain. She spoke his name softly, urging him to come to so that she could talk to him.

"Heero." Sally tried and saw his gorgeous prussain blue eyes open as he cleared his vision.

"Huh..." Sally noted that he sounded utterly exhausted. Karnagy turned to the Preventer. "Maybe you should leave, I have to talk to him privately.

Heero blinked the exhaustion from his eyes as he was met face to face with his doctor. His heart skipped a beat. 'What happened?!' His mind raced. 'God no, no no no!' A look of hidden fear now immerged and a look of worry crossed over her features when she saw this,

"Heero, are you alright?" He slipped on his emotionless mask and the doctor blinked, wondering if she imagined it. He nodded his head stiffly almost.

"Heero, how did you get those bruises?" She questioned.

Heero looked at her and stared at her eyes to show he wasn't lying. He had been practiced in the arts of lying and people believing truth. "Football." He said simply. Being on the football team did earn you a lot of bruises, specially since our Heero got tackled so much since he was one of the MVP and the other teams wanted to get him out of the season.

"F..oot...ball..." The doctor said slowly, not getting the answer she was expecting. Abuse, that was the only way to describe it. Obviously, the wonderful doctor was proven wrong.

"Yes," Heero told her pointedly. "After being tackled so many times into the ground I would expect you to get bruises also."

"If that is so, then why did you have that drug in your system?"

"Well, some of the bruises hurt a lot so my mother got a type of drug that would help numb the pain so I wouldn't miss football practice tonight. It's the night game after all."

"Oh yes!" The doctor exclaimed. Her and Heero were almost good friends. "I'll be going tonight, not that you'll need anyone to cheer you on." She joked. He slightly blushed, though deep down he was faking. Everything in his life was a lie.

"Yeah, tonight's the first night game of the season." He told her.

"Then why were you wearing cover-up?" The doctor inquired. He couldn't dodge this one, definitely not!

"It was picture day. Mother didn't want me to have the bruises from getting my head banged into the mud a couple times show in the picture she was gonna buy so she used her makeup on me." He told her quietly.

She sighed inwardly. Wrong again. "All right then, I'll let you go to practice for tonight's game." She told him, helping him grab his shirt. "And Heero," Heero turned to look at her, his hand just above the door handle.

"Yes?"

"Remember, I'll always be here when you need me no matter what happens." She told him in a silent promise that not even blood could break.

He nodded and opened the door, not even noticing the Preventer Sally Po that was eyeing his 'mother' with a bird's sharp eye.

His mother stood up, giving a smile which under hid the nasty glare she was giving her and left with her son. Sally looked for a while and then turned around. Une wouldn't let her follow the two people, even if it was Heero Yuy. Besides, Une would scold her if she didn't finish the work that she had come to do.

"What did you tell them?!" His mother hissed at the teenager as soon as the door to their home was slammed shut and locked. Obviously she wasn't taking any chances.

"What you told me to tell incase this ever happened." Heero spoke softly so as not to infuriate her, yet his calm demeanor quickly got rid of that small hope.

"Bull, you worthless piece of crap!" She shouted as she picked up her heavy purse and hit him repeatedly as bruises formed. Soon, her anger getting the better of her, she reached for a lamp and with a cry struck him down.

There was only so much pain someone could take and that certainly crossed the line. His body was still weak from the other beatings and he just didn't want to heal at all. All he remembered was a white hot flash of pain coarsing through his veins and then darkness swallowing him.

"Hey!" Duo cried merrily to Relena Peacecraft. "Have you seen Heero? He should be back a while ago. He's got football practice and Trowa wanted me to fetch him!"

"No, Duo." Relena told him quietly and a little worried. Maybe he was sick, but the perfect soldier didn't become ill, did he? "I haven't seen Heero since when he left."

"Oh." Duo said downheartedly. Heero didn't seem to be all right, not that he ever was in the first place being in a category of his own, yet it seemed that the young teenager was even more different.

"Tell Wufei that I hope his strategy works and I wish all of you good luck." She said with a smile, her cheerleading uniform showing beneath the coat that she wore.

Relena was captain of the cheerleading squad, giving her almost instant popularity. Duo was on the basketball team, Quatre in the Musician's Club, Trowa and Heero on the football team, and Wufei was a lower level of the coach, much like an assistant coach.

"Thanks, you too. Hope that the cheers go all right for you!" Duo ran off again, trying to think of anything but his concerns for the perfect soldier. He grinned inwardly when he remembered that he had been paired with Heero Yuy himself for a science project.

As the night sky began to fall on the field, all the players minus one lined up as the coach's took role; "Renalds, Walker, Friedman, Ilkmar, Barton," The coach paused at the number '01' jersey. "Heero Yuy?" He questioned, noting that the boy wasn't there.

'Odd, that boy barely misses any practices and when he does he makes it up by doing a lot of stuff.' The coach wondered. "Heero Yuy?" He repeated again. Wufei raised an eyebrow and looked at Trowa who looked just as worried. Trowa shrugged but looked around still, waiting for the young teen friend of his to come rushing up.

The coach checked the name, making a mental tab to call his parents and see what was up. It was a Friday night but still, almost everyone was home around this time or ready for the game.

'Where is Heero Yuy though?' Karnagy wondered as she noted all the people playing in the game tonight. She was positive that he mentioned going out to play, there was no way in hell he would miss the first game! She furrowed her eyes with worry as she glanced around. Something was terribly wrong. A young boy with long chestnut hair tied in a braid sat down next to her, wearing the same look.

She glanced at him and he at her. They seemed to understand one another with that glance and looked away. Something didn't feel right about all those bruises, about football being the reason, the numbing drug...so many pieces didn't fit.

Where was Heero Yuy?

Author's note: Wow! I feel so special with all sorts of people reviewing my work! . I'm loved! Alright:

-A Minor Pentatonic: Heero's foster family is influential, but that's not the reason why he is stuck with him. N fact all the Gundam pilots who don't have a legal family (Duo, Trowa, Relena, and Heero) have foster families during their stay at the high school. All will be understood in good time.

-dostil: I hope this was as fast as it is, whether short or not!

-BlackX- I don't know about the pairing yet; might not have any like you suggested. I really suck at romance. Heero is resistant to drugs. I should have gone more in depth with that one; Heero's foster mother has his medical records and if he needs medicine, they give him a stronger prescription thus enabling her to adapt almost any drug past his tolerance so he's affected.

-Lockea Stone: I'm deeply honored by your complement! I'll try to update as much as I can between school and other events. If you like drama, then your gonna like this chapter I think. My readers please remember; nothing is as it seems! Muahah!


	5. Shards Under my Skin Literally

Innocence Taken: (Finished this early for all my reviewers. I love y'all so mcuh for the encouragment!)

Groaning, Heero opened his cloudy deep blue cobalt eyes slowly perked up to the light from the blindless windows. He groaned and turned a bit only to have a sharp intake of air.

He jumped up, clutching his head in pain as he crumbled to the floor, fingering the new laceration he sported. He hissed slightly as he felt a hard patch under her fine toned skin, which was slightly paler than normal. He looked at his pillow through dizziness and saw the blood patches staining the fabric and cotton.

His arm tensed painfully as he closed his eyes and grinded his teeth to keep from letting the tiniest sound emit from his mouth. He took a deep breath, swallowed and pinched his infected skin together near the laceration. More blood poured from the wound as the muscles contracted and his whole body shook from exertion. Finally, a sliver of crimson-stained pottery from a lamp base emerged from his skin and he took faint breaths trying to regain his composure.

"Ugh..." Heero groaned, the lack of good sleep had obviously taken its toll on him as he collapsed on the ground and felt the world spinning around him as the light dimmed and darkness claimed his world.

Duo had gone to the football game that night, concern written in his eyes and riddling his feature as he stared at his ceiling.

FLASHBACK

_Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei all took their seats on the bleachers as they eagerly waited for the game to start. Relena noticed them in their normal spot and waved a little gleefully as she waited for Heero to come out with the team._

_'Time to start the cheering', she remembered. Then she saw Lei also looking for the stoic pilot the young cheerleader was infatuated with. She glared a bit and snorted a little as she looked to her fellow teammates who were supporting their school, Lincoln, with her._

_She grinned and they took formation. "That's alright, that's okay!" They cheered as some of them did a series of flips and other's did a couple of leap cartwheels and spirals. "Lincoln's gonna kick your ass away!"_

_Duo grinned as the crowd went wild. 'At least they're cheerleaders with some bright vocabulary.' He thought slightly._

_The football team came out, having stretch already and had a wonderful pep speech in the locker room. Duo looked at the swarm of Lincoln Lions. Their black and gold uniform was quite the contrast against River Valley, who had blue and white uniforms._

_Duo looked at the numbers as they took formation and those not on the field, noting the worried look on the coach's face and some of Heero's more closer teammates though he already had been close to all of them since many had the same interests, football being one._

_Duo furrowed his eyebrows in a scowl and noted the lack of one of the numbers, '01'. Heero Yuy wasn't there._

_The game of course went on without him and Relena later told them news that none of them expected._

_"The coach said he never showed up, pre-practice or for the game even. He didn't call or anything. The team said they only won for him since he wasn't there." It had been a known fact whenever a player couldn't play or was absent; Heero would try his best for them._

_"How could he just ditch them?" Wufei snarled lowly. "Injustice." He said with even more fire._

_"Can it Wufei." Cathrine said as she came up to the group. "Heero works his ass out there, don't be talkin' 'bout all this injustice when you don't do anything for this school."_

_Wufei's eyes glistened with a infernal flame that was aimed directly at Trowa's 'sister'._

_"Catherine..." Trowa said warningly. Everyone looked at him, expecting some great interference into the quarrel. "Since when do you swear?" Everyone looked at Trowa with gaping mouths, certainly not expecting that._

_"Trowa." Catherine spoke to him lovingly. Then she screamed at him, "I'LL CUSS ANY DAMN TIME I WANNA!"_

_"Cheerleading does wonders to the self-esteem." Another cheerleader smirked at what Catherine had done to her brother._

_"Was sad Heero wasn't here, we could've done our special new routines for him." Another sighed dreamily._

_"Oh, but 7 is by far the best QB ever!"_

_"As if!" Thus the quarrel over the football team began..._

END FLASHBACK

"Heero, where the hell are you?" Duo whispered to himself, looking at the digital numbers glowing red in the darkness. It read 1:01 in the morning.

"Arg!" He slammed his pillow into his face and then lifted it from himself a moment or two later. 'Can't sleep...' He reached into the darkness and fumbled around aimlessly, finding the object for his short quest, a black portable telephone.

He fumbled around and sat upright, knowing he wouldn't get any sleep if he didn't do this. "Lessee..." Duo mumbled to himself in an almost slurred voice. He dialed the numbers he had long memorized.

The telephone rang on the other line, and then again. It rang three more times afterward. 'That's weird, Heero never waits THIS long to pick up the phone unless he's comatose or somethin'. He's got caller ID for—' Duo's thoughts were broken off as the phone was picked up.

"W-What?" Came a slightly pained and somewhat groggy voice at the other end. 'Man! What the hell happened to him?! Sounds like he got run over by a car!'

"Heero?" Duo asked, wide awake now.

"Duo?" The voice sounded vaguely alert but a groan sounded suppressed. Little did he know that on the other side of the line, Heero was cradling his head while trying to take a pain reliever he had been lucky enough to find. The first shard he had gotten out of the wound lay discarded on the floor, blood seeping into the white carpet. Two other shards lay beside that one.

"Heero," Duo's voice held concern now. "Are you alright?" He questioned.

"Duo wha—"Heero was about to whisper into the phone when the sound of thumping was easily heard over the phone.

"Duo, I have to go." Heero hissed to his friend.

"But, Heero—"Duo shouted into the phone, the banging growing louder and louder.

"What the hell is going on boy?!" The sound of a loud voice rang through Duo's ear as he heard stomping feet and some muffled groans and other noises that sounded like the house was being torn apart.

Then the line was disconnected abrubtly.

TBC

Author's note:

Well, what do y'all think of my evil cliffhanger/suspense y'all? Here are some responses to your questions/ comments/ randomness thoughts:

-Word dreamer 999: Thank you much! I have yet to decide the pairings, though I believe there will be rivalry between Relena and Lei. Possibly even Duo if I feel like it. In fact, since so many people say I should do 1X2, I actually might (don't hate me Shellie-kun!)

-Yume Keki: I will, as you can see. How can I abandon my dear fic?

-gundam girl: Thank you for the compliment and it is very depressing some kids have to live through this sort of thing. Thank you for your other review also! I also hate shots, with a passion of course!

- Lockea Stone: Yah! Another review from Lockea! Currently, the whole lamp smashing thing, Heero got knocked out (ouch!). I'm sure you can write drama if you tried. Currently, I have no idea how I write like I do (maybe it's because of my overly-active imagination...just ask my health teacher. She probably thinks I'm insane since I wrote a creepily beautiful story about abuse, drugs, etc. and in one page also!) I'll try to make the conversation more understanding for you, sorry 'bout that!

-Erinamation-limited2-nothing: Danke (thank you) for the compliment. I think. Not really sure what it was suppose to mean...

-Clarobell: I felt sorry for the whole lamp thing too. I can't believe I wrote him getting hit by a lamp! (where the hell did that come from anyway?) Well, it was better than getting knocked unconscious by a spatula or some other household weapon. Or a kitchen knife shivers. I won't kill Hee-kun. And I update now bows.

-ASKInfinity: HA! I put yours on the bottom Shellie-kun!!! Muahahah! Don't kill me! Red Rum...uh...yeah...I've regained my seriousness composure. ahem. Your reviews make me so happy! I'll have to write long ones for you too. Anyhow- Uh...thanks Shellie-kun. I updated Pilots for you and am glad you like it since your not a big Gundam Wing fan . About the Heero playing football thing, he's not SO short. I have his stats. I'm an overly obsessive fan. Besides, people do get growth spurts. Relena's a cheerleader, because...well whispers I didn't wanna make her a lancer 'cause the ones at our school scare me.

uh...yeah...this is to all my reviewers:

I love reviews and suggestions. Couple suggestions would REALLY be helpful, also: I'll give a little something extra in this author's note:

New fanfiction possibly coming out soon: (don't diss me 'cause it's me first yaoi fic...It'll probably suck since i can't so romance or anything (Shellie-kun, that means you too!). If you think i should make it, tell me. If it sucks alot, then tell me. I don't care. I'll team up with someone if they wanna do this together.

Summary for Love's Pain; Literally:

Relena and Duo liked Heero, alot. Though the war rages on in secret for the young soldiers heart, Relena turns to drastic measures to get the braided pilot out of the picutre. Perminately.

Just another one of my GW stories! Auf Weidersehen! Red Tail


	6. This is Me, This is my Life

The door to Heero's bare room was opened roughly, though his father made sure to check for noises for his wife's slumber being disturbed. When no sounds other than the slightly faster breathing of Heero's was heard from the wound he clutched and his head slightly, the man glared at Heero.

"Who was that?" The older man growled to the young teenager. Heero looked at him before standing after he was able to stand without swaying.

He shook his head. "It was no one."

"No one my ass." He growled back to his 'son'. "No one calls at one am!"

"I-It was a solicitor." The man glared at this and pushed Heero roughly back onto the mattress as Heero landed with a slight grunt.

The man raised his eyebrow and looked at the stained sheet marked with crimson streaks. Then there were the glass shards. "Well..." He leaned over Heero as he pried his hands from the wound. Heero winced slightly as some blood poured from the wound. "I guess I'll have to teach you not to lie to your father, eh?" He whispered gruffly into Heero's ear, who turned away in disgust over the reek of mixed alcohol and a slight tint of ecstasy that was poured into his drink secretly.

His cold fingers fell to the open wound and he grinned slightly but looked up to realize that Heero was turned the other way. "You can't learn your lesson if your like that, no can you?" He hissed with rising anger. The club drug mixed into his drink gave him an imbalance in steady emotions.

Heero clenched his teeth but still couldn't get used to the fiery pain that erupted across his abdomen and the nerves traveling to his brain. The man grinned a little bit and looked at his fingers that poked at the bloody wound slightly.

"Are you going to scream?" _'This time'_ He left out Heero thought with disgust. The man's fingers pushed into his wound, tearing already torn muscle and tissue even more as his nerves seemed to scatter, sending his body tightening and creating more pain as his muscles seemed to clench around the finger to try and get it out.

"Well?" The man jerked Heero's head over to look at the ceiling compared to the side where he had tried to keep his head. His father's fingers pushed harder into the laceration and Heero could feel the blood slipping from his body and trailing off his muscle toned body and onto the already stained mattress covered with a fresh coat now.

Heero grit his teeth in pain as he saw white specks flash across his eyes and the world began to spin seemingly. "You worthless piece of crap, to good to scream, are you?!" The father hissed over and over again.

"No wonder your mother left you or whatever it is! I wouldn't be surprised if she committed suicide because of you!" The man said with more anger and relish in his voice. "No one loves you! The people only hang with you because they want to see you break! They hate you! Who could love a piece o' crap like you?! You... and you're a fool for not realizing it!" He continued. "If you were my child I'd certainly divorce and send you to an orphanage or shoot you myself!"

Those last words stung as much as the others. Heero closed his eyes tightly, begging for it all to go away. The only thing that came was a picture of his dead mother, one he could barely remember.

"Mommy?" Heero questioned as he opened the door to his mother's room, stumbling over a couple of empty or spilled bottles of drugs and anti-depressants. "M-Mommy?"

_The pitch-dark room barely hid anything but he could see a silhouette's outline from the shaded curtains. "Mommy?" The little boy questioned with more hope. He walked over to the figure and tilted his head when he noticed feet were barely touching the ground._

'_How did mommy do that?' The two-year-old questioned himself. After getting special training from Odin since he ran into him in the streets, he had been back for a week and it was his third day back with his mother. He hadn't seen her for a couple of years, but tried to act 'normal' as Odin said, being more open compared to his usual cold and withdrawn self._

_Heero, feeling an ominous presence, pulled the gun Odin gave him incase from his waistband. He stepped over some pills and knives scattered across the dark plush carpet that had long needed vacuuming._

_Then he saw her, the lifeless eyes staring at him, blaming him for everything that drove her to this. He fell back a few steps, the cold lips and lolling tongue hanging from her relaxed facial expression. The white lines that were almost faded pink showed the previous self-mutilating Heero had seen her do at times when she cried and screamed at her reflection._

_His breaths came ragged as he began to hyperventilate at the sight and he rushed to try and lift her feet so she could breath. He cried as he fell to his knees, the police sirens wailing in the distance as the neighbor pounded on the door for them to open up, hearing all the commotion and sobbing..._

The father pulled his fingers out of the wound, as he knew he left imprints of his fingers in the boy's muscle tissues that hadn't been ripped. He could see some of the jagged muscle, making his grin even more as he licked his fingers in satisfaction of the heaving boy on the bed, trying to catch his breath and the distant memory fading, but leaving his marks on them.

"Clean yourself up." He ordered as he left the room to go back to his. The clock showed 1:30 AM.

At about three o'clock in the morning, Heero got up and reached the medical bag not to far away as he pulled out a needle, wishing for a painkiller but his parents made sure to keep them under lock and key.

He got up after stitching his wound and taking some antibiotics to fight the medicine and bent down to do some pushups. He then did curl ups, ignoring the pain now. He felt so empty, so hollow.

He got up and then looked into the mirror, gazing at his slightly sweating face. He sighed and then took a shower, getting ready for school today. With the thought of school, Heero's head jerked up, his soaking hair hitting him in the eyes, not that it mattered.

'Duo!' Heero's mind flashed back to Duo calling at one in the morning. Duo knew. He knew about all that was happening!

Author's note:

Well, did y'all like it? I have to tell y'all one thing though; the cat's not out of the bag yet. I have to say that this chapter was kind of really bloody so i think i'll bump the rating up to be on the safe side. I think, i'll ahve to check what R is described as because as of yet, there will be no sexual abuse. I'm better at physical and pyschological. Uh...yeah. I think that's it. I'll try and write the next chapter as soon as i can.

Reviewers:

BlackX: Thank you for the spelling mistake notice, very helpful. I'll have to fix that... Sadly, my computer can't do german though i take the class. Tja... sprechen deutsch? I will tell you one thing, the cat's not out of the bag yet...but might be soon. Who will come to Heero's aid though? dun dun dun!

Dragon1727: Thank you for the compliment! I'll try to write as much as i can and since i got these pretty fish net wristbands, it keeps my wrists up so it's easier to type seemingly. That or they're just to spiffy not to wear. Danke schon!

Lightway1017: Thanks for the compliement! Oh, have you noticed how i based the social studies teacher on our sceince teacher and our social studies class on heero's? Much fun in that class....karaoke moments in his room will come soon. Trench war fair has not died yet people! so do you like my siggie name? so pretty? i sign my art work with it (sh...it's a secret!) i know how it is at the library. danke for the review! see you at school!

Yuniestwin: Thankyou for the compliement on my writing syle. Alot of people like some of my styles at school because it has something to do with portraying emotions. I make up for my action talent in the fact that i suck at romance. Alot, as i think i've mentioned before. I'll have tio get some advice on that if there's gonna be any love in this. i'm not sure if i'll make it anymore depressing than this though...(the flashback to Heero's mother will go into more detail eventually) sorry for writing so much...i tend to ramble though i try not to in my author's notes...

Yume Keki: I THINK I HAVE A FAN? COOL!!! Yes, i did update and your enthusiasum makes me smile much that it does!

gundam girl: oh my god...i feel so sorry for you! two shots? I'll put in a class extra for you! (sobs) one time i kicked a nurse 'cause i didn't wanna get a shot. they had to come and restrain me. i do believe that was the shot that hurt the most in my life. i seriously hope no one punches you in the arm. I'll try to update as soon as i can and i'll throw in a special after the next chapter, kay? right, on the duo kicks their asses thing:possibly that may occur. It'll get more depressing before that happens. I take it that you want Duo to come to Heero's aid? I'm trying to figure out how that's gonna work. the abuse will take a turn for the worse since heero may start to do things because of the verbal abuse he experiences.

Bunch-o-Nuts: Thankyou for the compliment! I love this story alot and i'll try to update as much as i can!

clarobell: Duo didn't necisarrily find out. He heard heero's foster father say 'what the hell' and lots of banging (that would be on the door not on Heero's body...yet that is)

DarkAngel: It's lovely to know that i have a reader like you! (happines and wipes tears from eyes) i've posted the story only it's a little different. Relena turned Duo into a cat and well...Duo witnesses the abuse Heero goes through and tries to stop it while he's a cat. The next chapter will hoefully be out soon and then the special after the next chapter will be fairly easy to write since i base it on my socail studies class. Thankyou for the review!

Hells-angel8: I've updated and thankyou for the review! Duo knows somethin's up but Heero's not gonna break so easily, specially since he think's he not worth their concern.

Thankyou all other reviewers! I love y'all! Auf Wiedersehen! Red Tail


	7. Welcome to Paradise

_'Duo!' Heero's mind flashed back to Duo calling at one in the morning. Duo knew. He knew about all that was happening!_

'Did-D-Did he hear?!' His breath caught in his throat a little, but he had to keep calm. He closed his eyes and fell onto the floor cross-legged. He kept his breath evened and cleared his mind of all last night, or rather this morning's, events. He then began to meditate, or try to at least.

He opened his eyes a couple hours later on after he had figured out what he was going to do, something logical and something that would keep everything from them. 'If they found out...' He shook his head, he didn't even want to know what would happen.

He got up and switched his alarm off and grabbed his wallet, slightly full from his paycheck. He hid half of it in a hole in the wall where a fellow chipmunk who later became his friend lived. Though there was a draft at times, Chippy, the chipmunk who preferred to be called that, came out to stay in the slightly warmer room.

He looked down and saw the worried look of Chippy. Luckily, he hid the hole with his bed and only Chippy or his hand would be able to find the hole that was about the same size as a basketball.

He smiled slightly as he bent down and opened a drawer of his and pulled out a piece of bread, half his dinner from last night, that he shared with his friend. The one friend he knew wouldn't hate him no matter what.

He placed the piece next to Chippy who looked at Heero with worried eyes and looked back at the piece of bread. He nudged his nose at it, moving it slightly towards Heero.

"Don't worry." He let his gentle hand lightly touch the chipmunk's head. "You'll need it more than me. It'll keep your energy high for the cold weather." He smiled and told him that he wanted him to take the food, saying he'd get more to have later with his money.

He got up from his spot on the floor and grabbed his backpack, not noticing the rodent crawling into his jean pocket. Today he threw on a black jean jacket and a black shirt to match and some faded black loosed jeans and his chucks.

He opened the door and went to the kitchen, getting the food ready for his parents. After that was done, he set the table and made a mental check that everything was there and he turned and his fingers drifted to a piece of toast but he grabbed an apple instead. He turned and opened the door and walked into the brisk weather.

His head was lowered as he walked pass the crowds of people and made his way to school. Then he heard what he heard everyday. "HEERO!" The braided teenager called through the streets as the people who had grown used to the routine stepped idly out of the way. Others, less used to this routine, had stepped out of the way in the nick of time.

Heero's eyes twitched a little bit as the boy named Duo rushed up to him as he was panting but still keeping pace with the stoic ex-pilot.

"What was with this morning?" Duo questioned with stupidity. 'I have to figure this out, so might as well pester it outta him or act stupid...'

"What?"

"The banging on the door? The whole 'Who the hell is on the phone thing'. "Duo said, waving his hands in a dramatic way as they walked, Duo accidentally hitting a business man who growled lowly at them before getting a death glare from Heero and rushing off.

"Duo."

"Yeah?" Duo seemed to have hope dripping with his words.

"What time did you call?" Heero questioned though it sounded more on the lines of a statement. Duo looked at him and then seemed to think about the staement. They continued amking their way to school in silence until Duo spoke up again.

"I think it was like, 1 am." Duo said and looked at Heero.

"Usually when a person calls, the phone RINGS and wakes everyone up in the house and sends them all into CRAPPY moods, such as my foster father." Heero told him lowly as he continued his trudge on the way to their school, a few girls giggling in a flirting manor at the football player and Duo's braid and their appearance. Both were well known in the school for their looks as well as the other transfers (Relena Catherine, Trowa, Wufei at times, and Quatre).

"Oh yeah!" Duo said, his mood not disturbed by Heero's words. He had gotten used to them it seemed.

Chippy's head poked out of Heero jacket coat, the side closer to Duo. When Duo noticed a slight movement of fluff, Duo looked at Heero's pocket, which was squirming, and came face to face with a little rodent also known as a chipmunk. That's when all hell broke loose.

Duo blinked in surprise and poked Heero's arm, getting a hiss from Chippy for touching his friend and master. He jerked his finger away and Heero looked at Duo with a raised eyebrow at him.

Heero stopped and then looked at the expression he held. "Duo?" Heero sighed in exasperation.

"Heero?" Duo questioned. Heero muttered something, telling him that he acknowledged him. "You know there's a rodent in your pocket, right?" Chippy hissed at this comment. 'Rodent my ass!' His tiny mind hissed at the boy who dared be so happy when he situation he was in was so dire.

"Kuso!" Heero cursed as he saw Chippy in his pocket with an innocent expression on his face when he looked at Heero but hissed when he turned his black beady eyes to Duo again.

"Possessive little mouse, aren't we?" Duo muttered it being sad enough that Duo's finger was within biting range for the chipmunk.

"OWWW!!!" Duo screeched at the chipmunk latched onto his finger with anger as Duo tried to fling him off.

"Duo!" Heero shouted, trying to get the chipmunk back without hurting him. "Chippy!" He shouted, making Duo raise an eyebrow until he realized with another crunch on his finger of the 'rodent' that was, in fact, sucking his blood. Seemingly of course. "You little Vampire! Stop sucking my friggin' blood damnit!!!"

Heero grabbed Duo and put his hand underneath Chippy as Duo waited with wide eyes and saw the chipmunk release his grip on his finger and crawl up Heero's sleeve and snuggle against his neck with affection.

"Since when do you have a pet rodent?" Chippy hissed again, clamping his teeth over and over again to remind Duo of the last time he said that. "Uh... yeah..."

"Since there was one in my house." Heero told him.

"Where did you find him?" Duo pried further into the life of Heero Yuy.

"In my room."

"EW!! You found that rat in your room? Man, what kind of room do you have?!" Duo questioned, missing the dark look painted on the teenager's face and Chippy's also.

They silently continued their trek to school as Chippy slipped into Heero's backpack and Duo pondering over how strange this morning could get. Then he remembered that both he and Heero had science today. The teacher was making them do a project today, but the partners were undecided still.

Author's note:

so...who should be paired with hee-chan? dun dun dun! Hope you people like the update! I'm writing as fast as i can for y'all! I got 53 reviews! I'm surprised this story is as good as it is and i think i'm gonna lower the rating because i don't think there will be as much abuse still not sure about that though. the next chapter will be Yelir's class. I'll try and make it funny to get people who are reading this a little cheerier. Thank you people for all the reviews! They make me so happy and encourage me to write faster and more!

reviewers:

Yume Keki: I'm continuing the story. i love gundam wing too much to abandon it. Thanks for the constant reviews!

ASKInfinity: I wish thee luck with your story! Still have to start with an acoustic guitar though. i do wanna be able to play green day on an electric when i reach that point. Uh...never knew Justin was a computer person that much. i think he's taking software aps. Ok...back to the point: thatnks for the review, i take it as a compliment that your still reading my story since you don't care for GW.

Lurker: Thanks for the review! you should have signed it though (people, this is my sister with a weird id name currently). glad that (i think) you liked my story!

Gundom1 Wing Zero: Oh! Thank you for the compliment! This one broguht tears to my eyes! sniffle I'm relly glad that you like my story! Here's the ext chapter and the next one will be out soon! Hopefully i get as much reviews as the other chapters! . btw, random thought: your freidns have pretty names!

Bunch-o-Nuts: Sorry 'bout the cliffie last time. The reason why i started writing was because there were way to mcuh cliff hangers and stories no one updated.

BlackX: That's really cool how your german! I'm part Geramn actually. Have some family over there, but not the point. I didn't think you were nagging at all, if anything i would consider it constructive critisism. Thanks for the review! There will probably be more flashbacks only more understanding and all in them.

DarkAngel: Thanks for the review, and look! I updated! Tee hee! Thanks for the reviews!

Hells-angel8: question; what does frisk mean : P muahahha! uh...i hope this answered your question but i think the others may find out later! people usually have to get together to work on projects but Heero's parents won't let his friends come over incase something in their behavior slips.

Lockea: thanks for the review again! your constructive critisism is very helpful that it is! i think i might push the rating back down to PG-13. i really did a bloody chapter in that one, neh? I'll go ionto more detail on what drove his mother to suicide, or was that a way to make heero more cold? dun dun dun! I promise i won't let any of my fans die of suspense, but i might make heero turn itno a self mutilater (a cutter). Who knows...

dostil: thanks for the compliment!

uplifted: Sister, did you not read my author's notes? Its because he has low self esteem (you were there when watching him jump off the medical building!) and little self worth. plus, verbal abuse tends to leave the victim believng that it really is their fault. who's taking abuse in health? i am. so the chapters will be coming easier to write. also got down some symptoms and stuff on abuse.

Erinamations-limited2-nothing: thanks for the review and compliment!

gundam girl: your not the only person who thinks that they should die horribly. the 'honeymoon' stage will be coming soon when it's all happy and then the abuse starts again i think i might add that. i wish thee luck with the shots, i hate them soo mcuh! who wants a syringe jabbed and punctured into your flesh to get into your muscles and inject fluids? twitch twitch i know, one time i kicked a doctor. they had to restrain me. not sure if i mentioned that already...Oo I hope that it all goes well. if anyone can say that for shots...

Well, i hope all you people liked this chapter and thank you everyone for the reviews and support! I love reviews! they help me write and keep me happy, or keep me in the mood to write this story! The next chapter will be an AP special with Yelir in it.


	8. Will You Let me Cry Now?

notice: skip over the author's note if you want to, but there is a chapter afterwards about Hee-chan and his father getting drunk.

Heero walked into the quiet room of Yelir's social studies AP class. Heero looked around to see everyone's mouth not moving and they were just blinking. Not even whispering. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then Lei bounced in and screamed at the teacher who was waiting at his desk for the late bell to ring.

"No!!!!! I'm too y-young to die!!" Lei screamed, dropped to her knees and hugged them close while rocking back and forth, sucking on her thumb and making other people laugh.

"Young Lady! Sit DOWN this instant!" Yelir stated with anger. "You are a very—very—disrupting delinquent!"

"ABUSE!" She claimed, throwing her hands over her 'virgin' ears. "It burns!" "ARG!!!!"

Yelir's lower eye twitched as he threateningly got out the ruler stick, clenching it. Lei stood up and walked over to her seat next to Heero.

"Alright class, today we will learn about World War I and the fighting that occurred." Yiler explained as some people began to drone off. Since Yelir wouldn't allow anyone to have anything out other than that required, Lei was subjected to look at her spiffy elbow length fish net bands.

Heero raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lei who was staring intently at her arms, looking at the black cross netting against her tan skin. Her eyes began to faze in and out on the object and she was so zoned out that she didn't notice the teacher standing above her until Heero nudged her sharply in the side.

"Huh? Wha—"Lei blinked, looking at Heero with confusion until she felt an ominous presence above her and she twitched her eye and turned to look at the teacher.

"Please do explain to the class what it was that you were doing." Yelir told her forcefully. "And no lies." He added, remembering the last comment she made about what she was doing about 'the rapid chipmunk bit me today and I wanted to check if I had "monkeynucleosis" or if I had a rash.' She had shoved the red colored skin in his face until Yelir found out it was red marker smeared over her skin. What a day that was.

"The truth?" Lei sighed heavily. She stood up and raised her hands like Relena Peacecraft would during a speech. She bowed her head. "My fellow students." A few suppressed chuckles could be heard from this. "I am very pleased to admit that..." A heavy silence fell over the room. "When I look at my arms." She said slowly. "It looks like I have scales like a snake!" People burst out laughing at this.

"Young lady!" He gripped her shoulder and she turned around and she did the same thing and shouting 'young man!' to him.

Heero started laughing at this as did the others and Lei smacked her face. "OF COURSE!" She shouted over the whole thing. "I will need a volunteer from the audience!" She grabbed the teacher, pulled out a rope and then wrapped it around him and pushed him onto the ground and pulled out a Goldilocks wig and some makeup.

"Man, talk about a drag!" She laughed at the teacher as she told another volunteer to come up and she grabbed Heerp, accidentally hitting a bruise. She caught a glance at his side shirt underneath the jacket and noticed a darker shade that seemed like dried paint or something.

"Now! Any minute now the damsel will scream in distress and—"Lei looked at her watch and then untied the rope to the teacher and Heero was allowed to go back to his seat. The class let out groans of protest.

Lei bowed and then looked at the teacher who seemed quite flustered. "That, sir," Lei told him. "Was for hurting my lovely virgin ears." She taunted him and flipped her hair like Charming in Shrek 2. Her many earrings flashed.

Yelir flushed at this and glared, but knew if he said anything this witty student and other's would speak out against him.

"I have an announcement to make though." Everyone turned to look at Lei with hope in their eyes so that they would get a couple of laughs in. She cleared her throat. "I would like to quote a wise statement I once heard at a wonderful world where I went. Though I was called an aneurysm fairy." She added. "Ahem, 'Come Slash! We must do the most dangerous thing we can do'!" She spoke with drama. " 'What? Make love in armor'?" The crowds burst out laughing once again and soon she sat down after taking a bow.

She grinned from ear to ear as a fake bell rang. One student behind her got up and was walking towards the door and Lei had a fierce look in her eyes. She got out some black lipstick and smeared it on her cheeks and yelled a war cry. The person who got up looked behind him just in time before getting tackled to the floor.

"ARG!!" She yelled in a huff with a wide grin plastered on her face. "Me THOR DA PIRATE—er—Viking thingy!"

"Miss Lei!"

"ACK! Suddenly I'm married! He's a friggin' stalker! How did you know that?!" She screeched at the teacher and then the bell rang and she grabbed her stuff and pranced out of the room while skipping.

"Well," Heero commented as he managed to catch up. "That was quite a show." He commented with a weak smile.

"Yes, I suppose. Next time I'm gonna be bush girl. Remind me. I'll have to get there early that's for sure. Scare the crap outta them people. Maybe we can get a game'a strip poker goin'!" She said with enthusiasm.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, oh!" Lei snapped her fingers together. "You got dried paint or sumthin' stuck on yer shirt." She commented.

"Huh?" Heero had a blank look before a slight fear came over him.

Lei lifted up a flap on the black jacket he decided to wear. She found the darker patch as they continued walking, Lei oblivious to the glares some people gave to her for touching him like that or even getting close to him. "Right here." She poked the spot, feeling how it seemed to give into her fingers a little stiffly and she heard a slight intake of breath come from Heero but all was forgotten when someone bumped into her.

"What the hell?! What where your goin' buddy-boy!" But stopped short when she realized it was Quatre and Trowa. "Oh, sorry 'bout that y'all." She grinned sheepishly.

Trowa mumbled something and Quatre looked shocked she talked like that but he shrugged it off. He looked at Heero and smiled a bit. "We missed you at the football game." He stated as a wave of pain washed over him but disappeared almost instantly.

"Yeah," Heero seemed to mutter while looking away a bit. The jacket part where Lei had prodded his body still showed and Trowa raised an eyebrow but Heero turned a walked off, the other football members calling over to him and that they were going out with the coach to celebrate.

"He seems quieter." Quatre pointed out to Trowa. "Quieter than normal that is."

Lei tilter her head to look at them with an intrigued look on her features. "Come to think of it, it does seem harder to make him smile in Yelir's class.

Trowa looked at her. "That's right, you have Yelir with him, social studies, right?"

"Yeah," Lei told him. While Duo, Relena, and Wufei didn't take a liking to the girl, Trowa and Quatre were quite nice to her, despite her friendship with the stoic teenager. "Hey! I 'member! You switched out after the first day, right? You took that test thingy and got accepted into a higher class," She exclaimed, happy that she remembered. "If there was one that is." Lei mumbled to herself. How could all of Heero's friends be so damn smart?!

"There was a stain on his shirt. It looked like..." He trailed off from his train of thought, not wanting to mention any thing bloody or war sounding to the friend beside him. He was more peaceful anyway as it was.

"I know." Lei told him thoughtfully also, the fool's mask gone. Her philosophy 'Those who don't know how to act a fool are the fool.' "I poked it." Trowa looked at her, expecting an answer. "His muscles seemed...messed up there." She said, choosing her words wisely.

One of Lei's friends ran up to her with a flower lei and threw it on her neck. "YOU GOT LEI-D!" The person named Tim laughed loudly and she burst out laughing too as she took one of the many lei's he held and ran about, doing to same thing to other people.

Quatre shook his head while Trowa raised an eyebrow while hiding a smirk and a couple of laughter with his hand. "Quite interesting, isn't she?"

"Yes. She is." A cool voice came from behind them and Quatre jumped a little to turn around to a very pissed off Kimiko. "Maybe that's why Heero-kun enjoys hanging around with her..." She seemed to have that glint in her eye, which showed that she must have been concocting something in her demented skull.

"Or maybe its because he just doesn't like hanging around people like you." Another cold voice came from in front of Kimiko. It seemed that Relena had come up while they were having their little chat. She had seen Heero's eyes and body language when he was around this girl and obviously he didn't like her. She just wouldn't get the clue, would she?

"Oh go molest your pom poms, cheerleader." Kimiko muttered to the cheerleader.

"Jealous you can't be on the team now, are you?" Relena said with venom dripping in her words. "Just can't get a guy wrapped around your finger, can you?"

Kimiko glared at Relena, who glared back in turn. The war had begun...

"Hey Heero!" Jake shouted, rushing over to the other football player while patting him roughly on the back. They were always rough, luckily Heero had been known to conceal pain quite well, so that's just what he did.

"'Ey." He said back, looking at the other players who were crowding around him as they talked about random things and other football things.

"Don't forget to get your hoodie for this season. Some of us already got ours."

"How does this years look?" He had seen others from previous years and they weren't that bad at all. Heero waited while the boy he questioned seem to rack his brain for the answer.

"Well, it's black this year with 'Lincoln' on the front and a football in the back. The lettering is gold and on the back is our number." The dude, whose name was John said.

"'Kay." Heero said, imagining the hoodie he was about to receive. The bell rang and Heero waved slightly as the other's patted each others backs, some throwing light punches and heading off.

He made his way down the hallway with Jake, the person in his next class. "Well, let's hope that this isn't **too** boring. Would think that I'll get a good snooze in this class."

"Let's just hope that guy, what was his name--?"

"Oh, ya mean Billa-bob?"

"Yeah, that...person." Heero said, clearing his throat slightly. "Let's just hope that Billa-bob won't make you nail that kid, Naomi, in the head again."

"Hey, that was TOTALLY Billa-bob's fault!" He laughed while remembered when that happened and Heero laughed slightly too.

"Right, your such a schitzo." Heero joked as a few students waving at him, hoping that he'd be there for the game next time.

"I know and I'm damn proud a' it!"

"Whatever." They walked through the doorway and entered the class. A girl named Michaela smiled at the two as they took seats next to her.

"So, what's up with you 'Cheala?" Jake questioned, obviously flirting with the junior also.

"Not much, we're doing a new topic today, you guys ready for it?"

"Depends on what the new unit is." Jake grumbled and Heero nodded slightly. "Let me guess, she said it last class while I was sleeping?"

"How did you know?" Michaela giggled while she swatted his lightly, yet playfully on the back. "We are going to do a project starting today, the teacher's going to pair us up since the last project you both did was just..." Michaela giggled at the memory of a goose that was suppose to represent an anthropoid since they couldn't catch an ant. 'I'm sorry, it's not my fault all the bug thingys burned under the sun with a magnifying glass.' Heero glared, smacking his head mentally with Jake's lame excuse.

"Yeah, I 'member that." Jake laughed. "Heero said next time he wasn't gonna work with me since our project sucked. We still got an A though since we won the game!"

Michalea smiled and the teacher walked in right before a loud commotion occurred as a teenage boy rushed in with his long braid trailing behind him as he dived for his seat, sitting like an angel around a demotion site when the teacher walked in.

"Mr. Maxwell." She raised a eyebrow at the innocent look on his face but sighed heavily, lowering her head and raising it to look in the clipboard in her palm. "Whatever." She muttered. "All of you are here. I'll start pairing you together. You'll have two days to do the project and your NOT allowed to do it in school. At all, Mr. Maxwell understand?" Duo grinned and waved slightly at her while blowing a kiss while the class giggled. "Yeah, in your dreams kid. 'Kay, well I'm sure it wont be a problem since your partner obviously won't let you."

"Great..." Duo mumbled, a couple girls looked at the teacher hopefully, praying to be lucky enough to get paired with the sexy boy.

The door creaked open and a girl walked in. She had long honey blonde hair tied in her trademarked style, literally. It was none other than Relena Darlain-Peacecraft. "Hello," She said to the teacher, "I'm going to replace Ms. Kaganashi, Kimiko. She's moving away currently."

"Ah, welcome then Relena." The teacher said, gesturing to the seat where Kimiko used to sit.

"Hi Heero," Relena smiled at him. She couldn't help but realize the slightly pained look in his eyed. 'What is wrong with you, Heero?' She thought to herself.

"Hi Relena." He said to her. Duo smiled at her and waved also. Jake just rolled his eyes and decided to actually listen to the lecture but found his attention wavering over to Michaela.

"Jake, your partner will be Michaela." The teacher announced and looked back at her clipboard to call the next group. Jake muttered a small thanks to the heavens and he scooted closer to Michaela who giggled at this and moved closer to his also, suppressing giggles when she saw how his eyes seemed to light up at this gesture.

Heero's group was next. Only Jake and Michaela were the only two partnered since the numbering in the classroom worked out that way. "Heero, your group will be—"

TBC

Author's note:

CRAP! I seem to be getting less reviews, but hey1 who can complain? The reviews that I have make me smile! Okay, enoguh with that and on with the next topic:

second: you can skip through the reviewer thank you's and go down to a little extraI added for my readersthat goes back with Heero's abusive parents.

Dun dun dun! Who will the group be? To tell the truth, I need suggestions on this. People want 1XR and 1X2 fics, but I have no idea how to write romance (don't kill me!). I got rid of Kimiko, for my sister of course. She didn't care for her. If we need a bad person other than the abusive people (such as a forced dating relationship of some sort...Tja...I might do that!) I'll ship her back into the story. Until then, she's the person voted off the island! I'm happy today for reasons that a friend of mine is going to get help for something that she does to herself (yes! Congrats to you!). Then I'm in a crappy mood because of the whole doctor's appointment and I almost missed trench war fare day glares at evil ortho people . I got to do it though! I actually hit Naomi in the head. Smack dab in the forehead. Then Tyler elbowed her and she had a giant lump on her head ouch, yes I based it off of that. I also based Billa-bob after my friend Sparrow. She lives in my head when I'm too bored. Sparrow hit her. I can't throw for crap. I didn't die though. (.) Also, this will probably be the last of the looking inside his classes (by that I mean Heero). The next will be more abuse wise and I might also boost the level up to R. I said might though.

Okay, yeah, here's to the reviewers!:

TARIGARMA12: I never said it was going to be a 1X2, in truth I have no idea who the couples are yet. I've updated and I made this chapter really long, 5 pages okay? Sometimes I'm just too tired to write. Like right now, but I'm doing it for you people!

Clarobell: I'm glad that you liked Chippy! Yeah! I'm gonna try and stick with him and thank you for liking this chapter!

Hells-angel8: I think that I take that as you liked Chipy but I'm not quite sure. I had to make at least a couple chapters more funny to make sure none of my readers fall into a deep depression state because it will most likely get more abusive for a while before going on into the honeymoon stage. Plus, self-mutilation will most likely occur later on.

Gundom1 Wing Zero: WOW! Your review like, makes me so happy! Yes!!! Happy so much I'll try and write the next chapter as fast as I can! (got my report card today so I can kinda kick back for a while, plus I can also write a lot during Thanksgiving holiday).

Word dreamer 999: Yes, it's allowed to review more than once! You can review all you want! I love reviews (as you can tell). Thanks for liking Chippy. Someone will find out about the whole abuse thing soon, that much can be certain. There's still the whole recovery thing though.

Yume Keki: Do you want it to be a 1XR fic? I'm gonna add Relena more to the story, but Relena is more of his lover and Duo's more of his best friend so I figured to add him more than Relena. There will be more Relena coming up since I'm going to get rid of some characters (looks at Kimiko).

**FOR MY READERS:**

Here's a little something for you people who are tired of all the stuff that I'm putting in to try and make it less amusing. Here y'all go:

He heard it again, the smashing of glass. Tthis was the reason why his mother beat him sometimes, though it was coming more often.

Heero looked up with weary eyes to look at the crying figure of his mother. She was clutching her head, blood stringing like her hair which was tangled all around her. She had torn some out of her scalp to try and ease the pain. His giant father stood over her and held a smashed bottle of whiskey in his hand, glaring at her.

"How DARE you decide all the sudden to make meatloaf when today is Tuesday! What is Tuesday?!" He bellowed at her while lifting her by the hair.

She choked out an answer to him; "Tuesday is Salisbury steak night." She yelped as he dropped her, kicking her sharply in the side like he would to a lame hound.

He turned sharply on his heel away from her huddled form and then glared at Heero who was sitting rigid now on the couch since he first turned to look at the smaller boy.

He took out his lighter and lit up a cigarette. "Well, boy?" He growled as if a animal had stepped into his territory. Heero inhaled sharply, swallowing and fighting back the bile that was creeping into his esophagus. He shook his head sharply.

The man smiled, the darkness of the room making his face even more demented by the light of the burning tobacco as some tar slipped and stained the carpet. "Is that so?" He exhaled, smoke swirling around Heero's face as he blinked but dared not look away. He felt a hand grip his face. He opened his eyes slowly and fearfully.

"Are you so sure of yourself?" The man questioned as the cigarettes lit end moved closer and closer to him. Heero pushed himself back into the plush cushions and looked into the man's cold eyes. He nodded again, slower and unsure of his answer. Yes if he was doomed and no if he was damned.

"Well," The burly man said to his child. He took it out of his mouth easily and edged closer to the boy, using his hands to hold the squirming boy still as the cigarettes end moved closer to his skin, making it tingle at first but sent his nerves screaming around as it burned into his flesh. Heero couldn't take it as the man pulled out a lighter and lit up another cigarette and pushed it onto his skin so that it actually stayed on his skin, burning his flesh. Two more were applied.

Heero couldn't take it as the man began to punch his formand took out his lighter and took his beer can that he had gotten after breaking the whiskey, dripping it slightly across his arms and lighting it on fire.

TBC

Author's note:

i hope all of you liked it.i would like some reviews. i was gonna update when i got 60, but this is to try and get some reviews to make me happy.

Red Tail


	9. My Land of Makebelieve, Dead & Dry

Heero's eyes opened as he looked up at the slightly stained white ceiling. He heard commotion in his mother's bedroom but decided not to interfere, so many times his mother's boyfriend came home drunk with her, even more than her at times.

He had such a dead life, so far away from the world, underground at times where the sun couldn't reach him in his depressed state. Odin had trained him and he didn't care, life had been cruel to him.

"Boy!" The drunkard hollered to the smaller boy, not as defenseless as he, his mother's boyfriend, thought at first. "Get yer ass o'er here!" He slurred words together, laughing mirthlessly.

'Damn him.' Heero's mind said blankly, putting no thought or force behind the words. He laughed inside, not happiness behind his inner thoughts, or dark thoughts either. He didn't care, that's what made him laugh. Exactly what made him useful to Odin.

"Yes, father?" He stretched the word to a certain extent. It seems to psychologically twisted mind of his foster father prevailed to no avail to think of ways to make himself have more power, more control.

"I already told yer, sit yer ass down der!" He said, letting his loosely balled fists impact on the pale figure's body sharply, the alcohol still flowing rapidly through his system, intoxicating him.

He swept his hand down and grabbed an unopened can of beer and popped it open with slightly swaying body movement. He pushed the boy down onto the floor, the opened and scattered items on the floor seeming to swallow him, he quickly took his hands away from the mess of pills and needles scattered and no longer 'sterile' as the dealers claimed them to be.

He backed against the wall as he witnessed the harsh abuse of his mother before he blinked and drew himself deep into his mind, far away from this place. He did wonder what it would be like to be a victim of Odins, a quick and painless death. He had seen a knife thrown at someone's heart, a traitor of Odins and he saw the relief flood the victim's features as they crumbled into a pool of their own blood, a smile still on his face. He had wondered what it felt like…

He heard it again, the smashing of glass. This was the reason why his mother beat him sometimes, though it was coming more often. Abuse, it was like a disease that passed through his mother's boyfriend to him. It was triggered by emotions; he got rid of them. He didn't care. Not anymore, he wanted to be alone.

The shadow that stayed in his mind of his father, his real father before he left his drug-addicted mother, stayed with him bringing the sorrow of being abandoned with the soul embodying his mother.

Heero looked up with weary eyes to look at the crying figure of his mother. She was clutching her head; blood stringing like her hair which was tangled all around her like a tangled mass of straw, drenched in blood. She had torn some out of her scalp to try and ease the pain. His giant 'father' stood over her and held a smashed bottle of whiskey in his hand, glaring at her.

"How DARE you decide all the sudden to make meatloaf when today is Tuesday! What is Tuesday?!" He bellowed at her while lifting her by the hair.

She choked out an answer to him; "Tuesday is Salisbury steak night." She yelped as he dropped her, kicking her sharply in the side like he would to a lame hound.

He turned sharply on his heel away from her huddled form and then glared at Heero who was sitting rigid now since he first turned to look at the smaller boy.

He took out his lighter and lit up a cigarette. "Well, boy?" He growled as if a animal had stepped into his territory. Heero inhaled sharply, swallowing and fighting back the bile that was creeping into his esophagus. He shook his head sharply.

The man smiled, the darkness of the room making his face even more demented by the light of the burning tobacco as some tar slipped and stained the carpet. "Is that so?" He exhaled, smoke swirling around Heero's face as he blinked but dared not look away. He felt a hand grip his face.

He opened his eyes slowly and fearfully.

"Are you so sure of yourself?" The man questioned as the cigarettes lit end moved closer and closer to him. Heero pushed himself back into the plush cushions and looked into the man's cold eyes. He nodded again, slower and unsure of his answer. Yes if he was doomed and no if he was damned.

"Well," The burly man said to his child. He took it out of his mouth easily and edged closer to the boy, using his hands to hold the squirming boy still as the cigarettes end moved closer to his skin, making it tingle at first but sent his nerves screaming around as it burned into his flesh. Heero couldn't take it as the man pulled out a lighter and lit up another cigarette and pushed it onto his skin so that it actually stayed on his skin, burning his flesh. Two more were applied.

Heero couldn't take it as the man began to punch his form and took out his lighter and took his beer can that he had gotten after breaking the whiskey, dripping it slightly across his arms and lighting it on fire.

Laying crumbled and once again broken on the floor, Heero stared blankly at the ceiling, eyes dry from shedding too many tears before the tender age of even five years old. His dull and empty eyes stared at the ceiling and he lifted an arm lazily to look at the blood on his hand that dripped onto his face, following the creases on his face like a tear. It left a red trail instead of a shimmer feeling. He closed his eyes, letting his blood pretend to be tears from his broken body and soul.

He pulled himself up, like a robot and leaning hunched over his battered body. He looked at the stains his blood left on the cold carpet. He watched in slight amazement as the blood filled the carpet, saturating it like a sponge would water.

He pulled himself to his feet and dragged himself into the kitchen, his real father's words imprinted into his mind. _"Be a good boy, be a good boy for your mother." _He asked him, the last thing before ruffling his hair like always. Was he a good boy now? He did what they asked him to, right?

"Get dinner ready!" A muffled masculine voice was thrown from the living room over the blaring of the television, drowning out his mother's muffled screams. Not like she did anything to prevent it or anything.

Heero walked into the kitchen and got out a sharp knife and pulled out a vegetable to chop up and set it on a cutting board. His mind drifted but he blinked as a slight pain appeared in his body. He looked down, surprised as he saw small rivulets of blood from his finger which was in the line of the cutting range, a slight gash on it. He looked at the knife.

When that pain appeared, it filled him. Somehow he felt…real, something that he hadn't felt since his biological father left. Tom, yes, that was his mother's boyfriend's name he remembered vaugely. He took the knife and drew it slightly across his wrist, an area where his mother sometimes shot herself crazy with injections.

He blinked and felt a blank smile creep along his features when he felt a sensation fill this empty shell he called his body. He didn't cringe in pain, but he welcomed it with opened arms and closed eyes as he let the new sensation fill him.

He could just imagine his father scolding him, being only five and a half and slicing his virgin arms. He didn't care though; his father wasn't there for him. He never got to share his trip to hell with him. He felt something cold creep up his spine, the warm feeling gone as he snapped open his eyes and looked behind him in a seemingly frantic way underneath all the ice he chilled his soul with.

A grin hung on the face of Tom. He reached an arm forward and pulled the boys arm and turned it over to look at the light cuts that had already formed a healing layer of skin. He tore them away despite the tugs the child gave to get his arm back.

"Who am I?" He had to hear it, after she wouldn't say it for while, he had to hear it from this child. He had to control them, their life, and their money, everything down to the last breath. His lust for this made him almost insane in the eyes of some but he didn't care. If he saw her talking to another male, he would be dead, gunned down on the spot.

No, he didn't have a gun. If he did, he would imagine the little boy pulling it on himself. He growled at the thought. He looked down at the boy angrily. "Who said you could do this to you?" His possessiveness growing as his eye twitched at the lack of response.

Heero looked away while still trying between intervals to reclaim his limp which was being held onto tighter and tighter, red marks growing as finger marks imprinted onto his skin grew. He jerked the boy sharply, him tripping slightly and dropping the knife with a thud, some blood from his cuts smearing on the floor.

He pulled the boy, dragging him as he tried to regain his balance. He angrily threw open a door, any door didn't matter. He shoved the wide-eyed boy into the closet. "This will teach you a lesson!" He snarled through clenched unclean teeth. He slammed the door to the closet, hitting the boy slightly since it barely held him. The pounding on the door made him smile as he locked the door, walking away with a demented smile plastered on his face.

In the closet, Heero's throat grew hoarse and he stopped screaming to be let out, his nails worn away and red, bleeding even as he felt the ridges he made in the door's thick wood. He couldn't tell; it was too dark and he breathed lightly, the air barely circulating. He drew his knees up to his chest, shivering slightly in the cold. His mother didn't pay for heating since it all went to the best drugs available.

He wondered how long it would be until he was freed from his prison. There wasn't a door handle and the closet was bare, barely fitting even him. Odin would be coming in a week. A week of being in here, in the dark, without food, all alone. He silently thanked his mentor for all the training he received to be able to even live in these conditions. He had never survived a week, but he would just think of this as another test. He looked at the walls that seemed to be closing in on him and he blinked.

Author's note:

Well, what do y'all think? Here's a little insight as to what Heero's childhood was like. Sad, isn't it? Anyhow, I hope that people liked this and I made it extra long (it was originally gonna be about two pages, but I added one or two). Also, I'm not going to do an author's response for this chapter since I need to get typing on my other stories. I said that I try to update all my stories on the holidays, and here I am typing, after my sister FINALLY got off. sigh . Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon if I'm strong-willed enough. Oo so...tired…almost fell asleep during 'The Simpson's' during Social Studies class. Okay, well…I love reviews and let me know if you liked it or not. Also, if you have heard of other ways that people abuse children/people it might be helpful, indeed it would be. As you can assume, Heero became a cutter in this chapter, and might become one again as he relives his childhood through abuse at home. I think that the partners for this will be Relena and Duo for the project, but I'm not quite sure. I have to finish the next chapter (another flashback and then to the present it goes). Anyhow, thank you everyone for the encouragement, it really helps motivate me! Danke Schone and reviews are loved!

Red Tail


	10. Burnout

_Flashback_

Odin Lowe growled lowly as he stomped up the steps, forgetting to keep his emotions in check. The kid was supposed to be at the bus stop for him to be picked up two days ago. Some dust fell off the stairs from being hit so hard. How Odin wished that he could just take out his gun and get rid of his "parent". Then, they wouldn't have to waste time with him worrying about his mother and 'crap like that.' As Odin described it.

He made it to the door, 214, and cracked his shoulders slightly as he flexed his leg and lifted his arm to knock politely. He waited, and waited. He growled dangerously again through clenched teeth and lifted his foot and kicked it sharply and hard.

The door swung open and Odin stepped into the ramshackle apartment. He stepped over some dirty laundry and over bottles of pills and such. He wrinkled his nose in disapproval. Even though he taught the kid to be an assassin, he would kill the kid personally if he found him on the crap like his "whore-of-a-mother" as he put it.

He looked down and his eyes darkened. Leaning against the wall was the kid's mother and he felt like killing her right then and there. In her loosely flexed hand was a syringe with nothing in it. He looked at her arm, the inner part of her elbow joint and saw the red streaks from her "little problem".

"Heroin Whore." He muttered as he glanced around for the kid after kicking his mother sharply in the side. Her eyes were rolled up, showing that she had used the drug not so long ago. Her eyes fluttered as she let a loose smile form onto her lips slightly.

He walked off and peeked into the bedroom frowning when he saw the "father" with another woman sleeping next to him. He clenched his teeth and bit his lip until it drew blood and his trigger finger twitched.

He heard slightly heavy breathing that wasn't coming from any of the other three occupants in the room. He turned and looked around in the silent household and glanced at a closet where the noise was coming from. He glared; hoping that it wasn't what he thought was happening in this hellhole.

He walked over in great strides to find out the cause of the noise. He turned the knob and frowned slightly and he rattled it, not getting any response other than breathing in the small space. He glared and then took out a pick that he always carried with him. He quickly got the lock undone, not daring to use his gun to blow off the handle in case there was someone in side that would be injured from the blast.

He pulled the door open with a little too much force than necessary. He then looked and let his eyes adjust to the dark shadows in the closet. The first thing he noticed was the smell of stale air that showed the door hadn't been open for over three days. There was a slight smell in the air that reeked of blood.

"Kid…" Odin whispered as he fell to his knees and lightly shook the boy in the closet. There were dark circles under his eyes and Odin glanced at the door, noting the blood smears and the claw and scratch marks. He looked at the kid's hands and wrists and felt fury and anger grow inside him.

The boy's now even thinner body showed that he hadn't even had the energy to move from his spot let alone try and get out again. He gently shook the boy again and he smiled slightly in relief as he exhaled when he saw the kid fluttered open his prussian blue eyes.

"…O-Odin…" He let out in barely a whisper, his eyes lowering slightly as he felt the darkness beckoning to him. He wouldn't feel so much pain anymore. He wanted to die, leaving this painful world behind but he couldn't find it in himself to die like this, to die because of **them**.

"Hey, Kid, I need you to hang on. Hold on, 'kay?" Odin encouraged. No way would he let this kid die and let all those years go to waste. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but even he was starting to believe this kid was working his way towards his cold heart.

"You came...?" Odin couldn't help but wince at the raspy sounding voice.

"Of course." Odin said, not believing how the words could come out so easily. He felt his emotions take a turn in the road, from sorrow and regret to vengeance and hatred. He swore to himself he would get rid of these two parent's, with or without the kids knowledge.

The kid closed his eyes as he felt the darkness beckoning to him again but opened them again when he heard Odin speak. "I have to leave, one day at the most. Less then most likely. You have to hang in there until I get back." He lied. He couldn't let the kid know of his plans.

The kid weakly nodded his head and Odin picked him up, not wanting to leave him. The child had already suffered from a lot, more than anyone his age should have to suffer from.

He placed the kid on the couch after cleaning it and smiled softly before backing away to the shadows, grabbing the woman by the hair and hearing a slight yelp. He growled to her and she looked up at him with slightly sane eyes. The drug was working its way out of her system.

He threw her into the bedroom and got a belt, tying it tightly over her neck as she struggled slightly but was in no shape to fight against a highly trained assassin. He loosed the belt around a pipe that was coming out of the ceiling and placed her on a stool while she shed some tears, understanding what was going on.

"N-no!" She whimpered as Odin's cold gaze stared her down. "W-what d-d-did I do…?" she whimpered again, trying to get loose the belt but only fumbling, the effects of the drug still in her system. He tried to keep her feet on the stool that was slightly lower, her feet grazing it slightly.

"…" Odin said nothing before placing his heel on the stool, ready to kick it away as the woman screamed slightly. "I'll see you in hell." He said coldly as he kicked the stool away and then he picked it up lightly as he threw it across the room so people, or the kid, wouldn't get suspicious. He pulled out his gun and pulled off the safety, firing at the girl in the bed who screamed once before being silenced.

The man woke up with a startle after hearing the woman lying next to him cry and reached for the pistol he kept in his drawer but a shot rang. The man's head rolled on the pillow slightly as lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling.

'That's for you, kid.' The assassin said to himself as he put his gun away.

"…" Without another word, the man left the room and looked at the stirring kid before exiting through the fire escape, ready to pick him up before the authorities came or anyone who got wind of this.

After hearing the hyperventilating breathing he could only assume it was the kid and he jerked the window open, rushing in to see the kid staring at his mother's lifeless body. Odin grinned internally at his handy work, it really did look like a suicide.

"Come on kid, there's nothing left for you here." Odin said as he gripped the child's shoulder with slight force. The child looked and him and nodded slowly, stumbling to his feet from lack of energy before Odin swept the kid up in his arms as he jumped out the window silently right before the police and neighbor rushed in.

Odin looked at the blank eyes of the child and sighed inside. He had spoken to his superior and that scientist, Dr J insisted that he wiped the boy's memories of everything but Odin for the safety of himself and those around him. How could Odin refuse?

He walked up to the slightly intimidating room and then looked at the doors before pushing them open and handing a slightly frightened boy over to men in lab coats. He had a gut feeling that something wasn't right but he couldn't disobey his orders.

It was for the best after all.

TBC

Author's note:

Thank you everyone for the reviews! I updated and this will hopefully be the last of the "flashback" chapters. (yeah!) I think that I should have made him older when he first cut himself but, well…I had to tie in the suicide of his mother when he was two years old as said previously. Sorry for the long wait on the chapter, I've been really busy and am also trying to get my other stories updated along with school, friends, etc.

Sadly, I'm not going to put up a reviewer response since I'm really tired and had to even beg for a coke to drink so I could get some caffeine to boost my system's energy and yada. I tried to make this chapter as long as I could and all, it may seem crappy so don't murder me or anything.

I don't think that I will add any relationships in this story though I may hint at them. Romance could be the worst thing for a recovery patient like Heero is most likely going to be since they may have a bad moment that could well, lead him into depression or something bad like that.

Someone commented on **Heero's abusive parents** and the answer to that is this: the reason by both of them are abusive is because abuse can be passed on through people. It has a tendency to follow the victim who eventually can become the abuser later on in life. Wow, that was a mouthful. I may look at my health notes and hint to the others about a depression he might go into.

This is the last flashback for the next how ever many chapters until whenever. That probably made no sense what so ever, so don't mind me. O.O I'm kinda dead right now… ahem, so Heero's partners will be Duo and Relena and hopefully they will find out whats going on in the next chapter.

Reviews make me happy. They also help me write. They also can be good for suggestions and thoughts about this story. I know this chapter sucks, but I wrote it when I did since I haven't updated since forever and I felt like crap. I need a hug… O.O sorry about that…anyhow, thank you for those who have given more support (yeah! 82 reviews!)

Red Tail


	11. So Far Down

Author's note: Muahahah! **This is it people, the moment y'all have waited for! Finally, Hee-chan's friends find out what is happening to him! **Now, on with the show:

Innocence Taken:

"So where are we going to meet?" Relena questioned the bubbly teenager with a braid and the stoic teenager with brilliant blue eyes. "Sadly, we can't meet at my home." She said. "Une said that no one is suppose to know my location."

Duo frowned slightly as he looked deep in thought. "Can't go to my place." He said sadly as Heero heard this and tried to think of a way out of this situation. There was **no** way that they could go to his home. He didn't even want to think of what the punishment would be or if they found out. "My foster parent's strictly said no one was allowed to come over while they were away."

"And you would listen?" Relena joked with the braided pilot. "You didn't strike me as the type of person to follow orders, in war or peace."

"Nope," Duo said with a grin. "I'm not but these people are like friggin' CIA people or somthin'!" He exclaimed dramatically.

Both turned to look at Heero after their short little sidetrack was completed. "Heero?" They both questioned the quiet teenager at the same time.

Heero looked at them and shook his head. "We could meet in the library though after school. They'll have all the resources that we need." He suggested, hopefully they would buy it.

"Sure!" Duo said merrily as he patted the teenager lightly this time in return for the great suggestion. Heero sent a glare, diverting his mind from the pain to thinking of the many ways of killing a human with his bare hands.

"Well, good idea Heero." Relena said softly as she and Duo shared a secret worried glance at one another. Heero did his trademarked 'hn' and then waved bye to them all as they all split up in different directions.

'Something is definitely wrong with him.' Relena and Duo both thought and promised themselves to find out what was wrong with the perfect soldier.

The next day, just as promised the three partners met in the library and began their work slowly and tediously, Duo jabbering his mouth off half the time. Relena had smiled at times over his at-time annoying antics but found herself absorbed with Heero most of the time even though he didn't seem to acknowledge her stare.

After about thirty minutes or so of staring Heero lifted his eyes from the book her was skimming through and stared into her aquamarine eyes. She found herself lost in those eyes like so many other times. Then he spoke. "What?"

"Huh?" Relena asked with a sort of dumb look crossing her featues. She hadn't expected him to be the first person to speak. Duo stopped his mindless jabbering and then looked over at the two teenager's with a sort of quizical look in his eyes.

"You've been staring at me." Heero said as he continued to look at her. Relena bit her tongue, knowing she had been caught this time. She slapped herself mentally for her stupidity, he was the perfect soldier after all so why **wouldn't** he not notice her stare.

"Uh…" Relena was about to beginning before Duo luckily interrupted, stating his own worries at the same time.

"We're worried about you." Heero stared at Duo with eyes that expected an explanation. "You aren't yourself." He said thoughtfully. "Even more so than ever."

"Nothing's wrong with me." He said calmly as he looked back at his book and found the spot where he had left off.

"Like hell you are!" Duo exploded, yelling directly into Heero's ear and making him wince slightly at the sudden change of demeanor in his friend. Since the braided teen was sitting next to Heero, he pulled the stoic boy up to his feet by his jacket and got an angry glare like he had never seen before. "What the hell is wrong with you?! We're worried!"

Relena had a worried look in her eyes and got out of her plush chair and walked slowly towards them, arms outstretched as she prepared to pull the two apart.

"I said I was perfectly fine." Heero said coldly as he yanked Duo's hands off his jacket and glared at the teen. He got his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, preparing to leave before Duo pulled on his arm again.

The only difference was that this time the jacket fell off his shoulder slightly at the force Duo used. The black tee that he wore couldn't hide the few angry bruises on his upper arm. A gash ran along one, angry streaks leading to his heart, showing the signs of infection.

Duo's mouth hung open. There was no way that Heero would be able to do that to himself or get those types of injuries on a mission. There weren't any more, especially with Une keeping a "close eye" on their activity.

Relena felt tears well up in her eyes, she hadn't known that the man she loved was being abused. She wanted to kill herself for not noticing, for not helping. She put her hand over her mouth and stepped back slightly, a thin stream of tears marking their way down her cheeks.

"H-Heero…" She whispered as she took a step forward but stopped when he glared at them, grabbing the sleeve of the jacket and yanking it out of Duo's weakening grasp. He pulled it up over his arm and turned, biting his lip slightly as he walked away confidently. Inside his whole world was crumbling. He felt so sick to his stomach.

He was so weak, useless and pathetic. Duo looked at him after he got over his shock and lunged forward, grabbing the youth by both of his arms by this time only not pulling the sleeves down. He didn't think that he was ready for that, to see how worn out the perfect soldier really was. How could he let himself get so far down? Was he too far away for them to help yet?

"Where do you think you're going?" Duo nearly screamed at him, trying not to scare Heero or anything but only made the teen enraged.

"I'm leaving." He said through clenched teeth, eyes flashing dangerously. If Duo weren't so concerned for the soldier's health, he certainly would have gotten the hell out of there.

He heard Relena rush forward also, trying to help as best as she could. The tears were long gone, now replaced with a determined look. "Let us help you, Heero." He pleaded almost. He didn't even look over her and her heart sank at this.

"Get off of me!" Heero shouted, odd to his normal quiet and cold self. He was on the floor from the force of Duo on him and he flung him off, anger and adrenaline giving him new strength. How could he let this slip?

While Duo was still stunned by the sudden powerful action and Relena was crumbled on her knees with a wounded look in her eyes, he dashed off. He left his backpack. It would only slow him down.

He ran and ran, past the people as he clenched his eyes closed, not wanting to think about how he screwed up. Everything was so screwed up. His life, him, everything.

He pushed his way through the crowd and didn't stop even though his body was telling him to rest his aching body and mind. He ran right into the house, flinging the door open and rushing past his foster parent's who looked at him with disdain in their cold eyes.

He ran right through the hall and into his room, closing the door and locking it tightly. He fell to the ground, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped tightly around them as he shook. They would tell the others, Duo and Relena.

He couldn't tell his foster parent's. These emotions that he had slowly gained made him slightly worried, he didn't know how to control them but they never affected him like this. Chippy squeaked and crawled out of the hole in the wall, stealthily making his way over to the slightly shaking teen. The chipmunk's sensitive ears picked up heavy breathing from the boy and knew something was wrong.

Heero moved, he walked and stumbled slightly towards his desk drawer and took a deep breath as he tried to slow down his racing heart and blood pouring through his veins. He opened the drawer and everything slowed slightly for an instant to him as he welcomed this feeling.

He picked up the object he was looking for, a small razor like the kind they used in the Tech. Ed. Department in their school. He had kept it hidden, silently waiting to help relieve the teen of some of the pain welling up inside his "hollow shell".

His hand shook slightly as he shut his eyes and made a shallow slash mark across his wrist and he bit his lip, wanting the feeling to never leave him. Relief flowed through him. He hadn't done this in so long, he had forgotten the feeling. It was like…a treat to him, something he did when he needed something to feel good about.

The chipmunk on his lap raised questioning black beady eyes at the slightly stained knife in the boy's hand. He had never seen this before and was very confused. He was bleeding but wasn't hurting?

Heero closed his eyes and then made another slash, the feeling leaving too quickly as he made another and another. He couldn't stop. He wanted this, he needed this. He took the blade and switched hands, making slashes again and again. He made another and another.

He couldn't stop and he didn't want to either.

TBC

Author's note:

Muahahah! Another chapter up finally! Thank you all reviewers and yes, when I reach a hundred reviews I guess that I'll try and do something special for my reviews. Suggestions for that are open.

Thank you everyone for the support and encouragement. I don't think I'll be doing anymore flash backs anytime soon. Also, Chippy was in this chapter for all the people who missed him!

Reviwer Responses:

bunch-o-Nuts: Yes, i did go back in time on Chapter 9 until chapter 10, this chapter was present day. sorry if it got confusing, i guess i should have be specific. I hope this chapter cleared up a few things! Thank you for the review by the way!

HeeroDuo4Eva: I updated (yeah!) and it was a kinda long update (wow!) Thanks for the review, HeeroDuo4Eva!

Lockea: Such a long review! Thanks for the spelling mistake, i did spell whore wrong. gr... thanks for catching that. I tried it on but it didn't work cause i typed it wrong >. anyhow, thatnks for catching that. if i knew what cyber cookies were, i'd say yes or no but i'm a simple-minded girl with an overly active imagination so i dunno. If i do reach a hundred though i'll be happy and jump for joy! . I tried not to call Heero Heero because it is indeed a codename so i called him boy or kid. Sorry if i got that mixed up O.O I really need toread what i write. Thanks for the review!

Clarobell: Thanks for the review! It's nice for encouragment every once in a while! . Hope that you liked this chapter also!

Skarlet Red: O.O Don't hurt me.... . I can't write romance for crap so i'm not gonna put any romance in this story. If there was and Heero ended up breaking up with the person, there could be possible suicide tendencies. That would be bad indeed. Despite the tirade, i liked the compliment! You don't see reviews like this every other day .

TARIGARMA12: Thanks for the review!

A Minor Pentatonic: Thanks for the review! Sorry that it didn't show up on the menu bar, sometimes that happens to me. Perhaps i just updated and FFN was uploading it still. But don't take my word for it, i know jack 'bout computers . and i'm damn proud o' it! Hope you liked the chapter!

artgirl150: Thank you for all the reviews you've written for me (in my other stories too), it's so cool to know that people like my stories! Well, this was the chapter where they found out about the abuse, so whatdidya think?

Yume Keki: Thankyou for all the wonderful reviews!

Lockea (again): You must update your stories! You never update them -- how are your reviews suppose to live without dying from a heart attack due to suspense?! Okay, sorry about that, i lost my composure. Anyhow, thanks for the compliment! . It was really nice of you!

Wow! ::wipes sweat off brow, okay just joking:: That was lot. Now i bet it's, like, four pages or something with the review responses. Anyhow, not that i mind. Sorry if i forgot anyone with the responses and i want to thank those who did review!

Reviews are nice and helpful and sweet! .

Red Tail


	12. The 'What If' Game

"What are we going to do about Heero?" Relena questioned the small gathering that they had currently. All the Gundam pilots including her were here, sitting in her bedroom while discussing, or more like debating somewhat, with one another.

"Are you **sure** that he's being abused…?" Wufei muttered as he cross his legs, rolling his shoulder slightly to loosen up the tense muscles that he had from moving around while arguing with the braided baka, AKA Maxwell.

"How would **you** think that he'd get all those cuts and bruises?!" Relena said with outrage as she lifted herself up slightly, arching her back from the position she was in, which was lying flat on the bed.

"Perhaps he's found other means to…relieve the pain?" Trowa shrugged, speaking for the first time in a while. Quatre looked at him quizzically, the look questioning him what he was getting at.

"You don't think that h-he's hurting himself do you, Trowa?!" Duo cried as pulled himself up from his position on the floor next to the empty box of pizza that was long eaten after they ordered it. "Heero's not the kind of person that would do that!"

"How would you know, Maxwell?" Wufei snorted. "He's self-destructed so obviously doesn't take his life into much consideration."

"Heero's changed since the war." Relena said while biting her lip, eyes tearing up slightly as she blinked them back behind her barriers.

"That doesn't explain the bruises; cuts maybe but not the bruises." Duo proclaimed as he refused to let that idea slide so easily. Relena nodded with renewed determination.

Quatre sighed heavily as he closed his eyes, running a hand through his light hair and bangs while groaning. They had been there for what seemed like hours and he looked at his watch, noting it had been about an hour and a half since Duo and Relena called them for a meeting, minus Heero, ASAP.

"Quatre?" Trowa questioned when he saw the blonde do this; even after countless meetings with the representatives from the colonies and earth, he had never seen the Winner heir so flustered. He noted that Relena was just the same; most likely because teen problems can effect the mind more. Plus there wasn't a paper with writing that was clear cut and precise. Hell, they didn't even know if he was really being abused or not; Relena and Duo could be over exaggerating the whole scenario.

Quatre looked up at the Heavyarms pilot and smiled slightly, giving a nod to show that he was okay. The silent pilot understood and nodded back, giving a small but reassuring smile to the blonde. Quatre looked back at the others. "So…?"

"So what? We're just gonna sit here and let them do this crap to Heero?!" Duo said as he slammed his fist into the plush carpet.

Quatre shook his head. "You shouldn't go around assuming. How would you know if his parent's did abuse him? Heero hasn't said a word to us about it and doesn't seem to **fear** his parent's." They had been over this arugment before.

"Heero's not the type to go and ask for help. He has enough trouble acting on his emotions." Trowa added silently.

"Any other brighter suggestions?" Everyone shrugged that opposed Relena and his knowledge. "C'mon you guys! We have to do something then!"

"Perhaps he's in a abusive relationship, we're learning about that in health class." Wufei shuddered at Trowa's words; health class was scaring.

"Heero's not dating anyone." Relena deadpanned; her tone of voice dropping the conversation. Sadly, Wufei didn't catch it.

"How would you—"

"He's not." The former Queen of the World said sharply with a glare to punctuate her statement. "Any other objections?" She said with her diplomatic face on now.

"Maybe he's street fighting and got hit a couple of times?" Wufei provided, spurring another argument.

"Man!" Duo exclaimed. "That would be so cool!" He emphasized this with a punch that accidentally landed on Trowa's arm.

The silent pilot turned slowly to look at the braided youth. "Uh heh he…" He giggled nervously but then reached to his neck, scratching a spot that seemed to conveniently itch at the moment. "Sorry 'bout that Tro." Trowa was silent and Duo grinned as he took that as an apology.

"Heero doesn't street fight."

"Onna! How would **you** know these things?" Wufei hollered with rage at the pacifist.

Relena flushed and got up off her bed. "You seriously need to stop insulting every woman you meet! Sally should be very displeased when she hears about your attitude." Wufei felt a blush come on to his cheeks and Relena smiled coyly at him. "Perhaps…" She started and thus an argument began between the two teenagers skyrocketed when gasoline was added to their already started war.

Duo started talking non-stop and Trowa looked at the three people that were making enough noise that the earth could shatter. Quatre screamed at them and Trowa looked at him with worry evident in his emerald eyes, though only one was visible since the other was hidden behind his uni-bang.

"Stop it!" Quatre repeated and everything went silent. He looked at them with a disappointed look in his eyes. "We came her to help one of our friends!" Everyone looked down at the floor with guilt minus him and Trowa who still wore his silent mask.

"Quatre, what do you think?" Trowa questioned. "We haven't heard your opinion, just questions."

"Yeah, Q-man, what do you think?" Duo questioned as he plopped down on the floor and cross his legs. Wufei sat down in a huff and crossed his arms, closing his eyes but showed that he was listening and not trying to meditate or block out their words. Relena returned to the spot she claimed on her bed and looked at Quatre, ready for his opinion.

"I don't know. So many things seem likely at the moment." His blue eyes showed the turmoil and indecisive battle he was holding against himself at the moment.

"Let's try this," Relena piped up after the small pause that followed Quatre's words. "We can try 'What ifs'." Duo looked at her blankly as did the others. "What is Heero was being abused?"

"Oh, I get it. Then we can work each scenario out." Quatre nodded to Relena's strategy. "Well, if he was, then it would depend on who it was."

"His parents." Duo supplied.

"We could hold a trial. Abuse is considered illegal." Wufei supplied as he opened one of his onyx colored eyes to look at the other's and closed it again, satisfied when he got an arranged nod of heads to this 'what if' suggestion.

"We would have to get Heero to testify, right?" Trowa questioned as he nodded at Quatre who looked down at the floor with a dejected look in his features. They would never be able to get Heero to stand before a court and admit something. "Remember Quatre, we don't know if this is really happening." He comforted the fair-haired boy.

"Thanks, Trowa." Quatre smiled as they continued throwing questions back at one another in a more orderly fashion.

"Hey, everyone." Quatre said after thinking silently for some time. "Isn't Heero on the football team?"

"Yeah," Relena said with a smile when she pictured him but shook her head to stay focused. "What does that have to do with anything? Sure he's close with the team member's but I think that if something was up that he would tell us first and not them. After all, you were his comrades during the war."

"True, but if I remember correctly, I think that you need a physical from your doctor along with all the forms to show that you're able to play football."

"So, are you thinking that perhaps the doctor that Heero goes to knows about this or something?"

"Yes Duo, but that's just a theory." Quatre reminded with the wave of his index finger. "Also, if we were to do anything, we should start there. That way we aren't accusing anyone. He could have just been injured during a session or something. After all, the coaches do work them hard."

"Anyone know his doctor?" Relena questioned.

"No." Relena looked down sadly while biting her lip in thought before looking up when Duo spoke again, he was grinning at her with a mischievous glint in his amethyst eyes. "But you have to remember that we **are** Gundam pilots."

"Are you suggesting that we hack someone's system to find this out?" Wufei questioned with some interest. Now they were getting to the action part.

Duo grinned at Wufei. "Well, we can try and if not I solemnly swear it was all my idea. Just promise to get me a pretty tombstone if our "perfect soldier" finds out about this." Everyone leaned in as Duo and everyone began to form his their plans for a certain brown haired former soldier with cobalt eyes…

TBC

Author's note:

Whew! That was a lot of work! Please forgive any spelling mistakes! I am terribly sorry for the long wait for the update. I tried to make the chapter as long as I could and now I think my fingers are sore. Did DDR today and rocked at Kick the Can double mat oh yea! I can only do fast songs though…sigh…

Anyhow, **thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews!** They bring such great moral support. Everyone have a cookie for reviewing! I'm so happy that I got to over a hundred reviews!!! - I hope that everyone enjoys his or her holidays like me! (Yea Gundam Wing box set!!) Note: there will be a reviewer shout-out for the next chapter for everyone, kay?

Also: **I got a web site for work that hasn't been posted yet and all its: **

Tell me in reviews if you want what you think of it! I may post some of the work there

Well, cheers and (currently at the time of this update, have a happy new years!)

Love, Red Tail


	13. Matters in my own Hands

In honor of February's poll on my website, this chapter (which has taken hell and high water to write) is finally out. I happened to loose my inspiration for this story and am sorry for the lack of updates. Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter.

Website: www. Freewebs . com / lost-remembrance (If this doesn't work then go to my user look up and click on 'homepage' and it will take you there )

Warnings: VERY Angsty in this chapter. There will also be blood, gore, and violence (if not written then implied)

**Innocence Taken**, Chapter Thirteen (unlucky number :hint hint:)

"Heero," Duo said, looking his friend straight in the eyes, "I have to ask you something serious."

"And…?" Heero questioned, ignoring from a side way glance that the Jester of the five was completely serious, much unlike Duo Maxwell's usual manner. Something was obviously eating him up, for the better or for the worse.

Duo took a deep breath, the silence in Heero's house unnerving. He wondered if he was lucky that the father and mother of the household were out and away or if it was bad luck. "Are you being abused?"

If Duo wasn't Duo or a Gundam pilot, then he probably wouldn't have noticed the sudden widening of the Japanese pilot's eyes. Duo narrowed his eyes, seriousness etched clean into his features.

Heero didn't reply at first, mumbling a barely audible, "Hn."

Duo jumped from his chair in the sitting room they were located in, the soft light from the lamp making shadow's play across his face. His eyes didn't dance with mirth, merely anger and frustration blended evenly. "Damnit Heero, answer me!"

Turning, Heero stared Duo dead serious in the eyes, his cold and calculate gaze clearly stating he didn't need the God of Death to help him out of this one. "Heero," Duo growled lowly his voice gravely as he tried to choke back the emotions threatening to tumble out, "Even you don't deserve this."

"Duo…" Heero sighed, closing his eyes as he let his long bangs fall over his face, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then why don't you enlighten me," He jerked for Heero's arm, yanking it into his grasp as he pulled the black sleeve up sharply, black and blue bruises marring his lightly toned skin. Duo noted with a dark eye that Heero seemed to be getting thinner than normal. "And tell me where the hell you got these from."

"…I…" Duo wasn't amused by the fact that the 'Perfect Soldier' was now stumbling, trying to pull his arm from Duo's tight grasp. Inwardly he scolded himself for not saving a special reservoir of strength that he would use to rip from Duo's hold.

"Tell me, Heero!" He yelled, lowering his voice when he saw Heero stare at him with surfacing mixed emotions, "We're all so worried about you…"

The click of a key being turned filled the awkward silence and Duo had an ounce of fear in him when he saw Heero's eyes widen. 'Was he like this around Dr. J in the beginning of his training…?' He questioned absent-mindedly.

The door was opened and the burly shadow of a man and the petite figure of a woman walked into the dimly lit house.

The heavy stench of alcohol on their breath made Duo fight to hold bile back in his mouth. The mixed smells were almost too much for his brain to process and sort. If OZ ever got a hold of all the liquors they had been drinking they would make one hell of a torture device against the pilots.

"…He…ero." The woman questioned, turning to see her 'son's' bruised arm in the tight grasp of one of his friends.

She smiled uncertainly, putting her purse down on the nearby small table as her husband glared at her and grumbled, the intake level of tolerance maxed out of him already making him irritable.

"Y…ya know we told ya not ta have friends over here." He growled out in his drunken state, the slurring of some words making Duo question just how much he did have to drink that night.

Duo stood in front of Heero, letting go of his friend's hand as he straightened his shoulders, shooting his best glare at the man. Wishing he had a gun to shoot the people with, he settled with a verbal fight instead. "What the hell have you been doing to him?"

"What do you mean?" The wife questioned, nibbling on her lip with worry. Obviously she wasn't as drunk as her stupor spouse.

"You know **exactly** what I mean!" Duo shouted in pure rage, Heero pulling on his fuming friends arm to try and make him calm down.

"Please, Duo don't make a scene." He pleaded, throwing minute glances at his foster parents who were seething with rage.

"Heero, what did you tell him exactly?" His 'mother' questioned in her sickeningly sweet falsetto.

"I know Heero's being abused by you people." There was a sharp in take of breath and an awkward silence that filled the dimly lit room.

A ferocious growl like that of an animal broke the silence. Dave, Heero's foster father, had his eyes set on Heero who was rigid with wide eyes at the people in the room. The older man's eyes were blood shot, glazed with alcohol and rage. "Perhaps we didn't make it clear to you, boy." He ground out between clenched teeth.

Thumping his way quickly and angrily past the shocked Duo, whom was roughly shoved out of the way, he grabbed Heero by the scruff of his black shirt, slamming him against the closest wall. The table holding the lamp fell and shattered, sending glass flying to knick the elder man and Heero in the face.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Duo tried to charge the man to get him away from Heero. Slamming the short-haired boy into the wall again he wasn't satisfied enough when he heard the tell tale sign of breaking bones. If only a rib or two, this boy would learn his lesson and his place.

"S-stop it…!" Heero managed to growl out between choked gasps, eyes clenched. J wouldn't be pleased to know that his perfect soldier isn't so perfect anymore. Then again, even in this weakened condition perhaps J would think otherwise.

"You are **nothing**!" Dave landed a rough punch in Heero's gut, making him arch his back against the wall as the wind got knocked out of him. The injured rib protested as Heero tried to catch his breath.

_You are nothing! The world doesn't need you! A worthless piece of crap that no one loves. If you died no one would care. They'd laugh instead of weep. You're lower than dirt!_

Every thing taunted him; the names; the memories that wouldn't stop assaulting him during each and every beating. He deserved this. He killed so many people and hurt so many lives. His pain was the only thing that could possibly atone for all the pain and suffering he caused in the world.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Duo questioned, trying to loosen the enraged man's grip on his fellow comrade and best friend. A rough smack from the man's hand that wasn't holding Heero sent him flying into the knocked over table.

"Being an OZ commander does happen to have some perks, eh?" He drawled out, the alcohol draining enough from his system to allow him to think properly though his reaction time was slowed along with his balance.

"You never liked Heero, did you?" Duo questioned, light dawning in his eyes.

"All you Gundam pilots are crap." He moved his hand up from Heero's shirt to his neck, smiling insanely as he tightened his grip. Heero grasped, arms trying to vainly pull the strong man's grip on him. "You should all die." To emphasize his point he squeezed slowly but tighter around Heero's neck.

"Get off of him!" Duo screamed, his lithe body pulsing with anger as he tackled the man, sending Heero fell roughly to the floor as he sagged against the wall while trying to catch his lost breath. The red tint to his cheeks started to fade after a minute or two.

"How **dare** you do something like this to Heero!" Duo cried, punching the man we was currently straddled over as he radiated of anger. Perhaps this was the God of Death he some animatedly described himself as?

"D…Duo stop it…" Heero protested, the man underneath his very obviously unconscious now. A black eyes and bruises marred his face as Duo stopped in his rampage.

"Y-you don't honestly believe what he says is true, do you Heero?" The braided pilot questioned, turning confused, saddened, as well as shocked eyes onto his abused friend.

Lowering his eyes, Heero closed them and looked back up at Duo as he struggled to stand, placing a hand against the wall in support. Gazing into his friends cold eyes, one emotion lingered and that was enough for Duo to see red in his vision again as he turned back to the man.

"Bastard!" He seethed, looking back at Heero who was still able to keep his balance and stand. The arm that was one wrapped around his torso was now gone as he stared at the front of the room where Duo was. His foster mother seemed to be in a land of her own, gaping like a fish with her jaw open and head tilted slightly to the side.

Jerked out of her thoughts as the maddening sight before her, Julie couldn't help but notice the horrible shape Dave was in. She glowered at Heero, who was looking down at Duo with that pitiful look in his eyes. 'I'll show him,' She hissed, hands fumbling around as she leaned against the small table where her purse was. Over the punching and swears from the braided boy, she knocked all sort of assortment things off during her quest for the object she was searching for. Her purse fell in a cluttered heap onto the carpet floor, barely making a sound.

Roughly pulling the drawer out, the contents inside the cabinet russled around, sound once more ruffled as she heard that devil call her husband more names. She grabbed what she was looking for, hands shaping as she spun around on her heel.

Her hair was in disarray and if she were to look in a mirror she would have laughed most likely at her state of appearance. Her lipstick was smeared, mascara lines running down her cheek and eyes wide. Wisps of her hair escaped her bun, no longer delicately lining her face like they did at the bar. Her shoulder strap for the sleek black dress she wore was hanging on her arm, one high heel shoe off and the other not. Her hands shook and her face was ghostly pale.

She raised her arm, pointing the gun at Heero who sensed something wrong and looked up. His eyes went wide as he no longer took an interest in Duo pummeling his foster father.

He knew in his condition he wouldn't be able to move in time to avoid a shot aimed at him, and he knew she knew that also. She narrowed her eyes and fired, the shot ringing out as Duo Maxwell looked up a minute too late.

Duo's eyes went wide as he heard the shot and then screamed, "Heero!"

TBC

Author's note:

…

…

Angsty enough for you all? muahahah!

You know, I actually liked how this chapter turned out! I'm so sadistic, aren't I? Well, some of the chapters didn't make sense before (I'll have to go back and change some of those) but hopefully this one did.

I'm so sorry for not updating this sooner, I had a lack of inspiration for this story for some odd reason. But I keep true to my word on the poll!

I'm terribly sorry for that. Sadly, Heero's friend won't be making another appearance I don't think (at least from what I have plotted out, which isn't a lot). There also won't be any happy little Yelir's AP class things anymore—so if it gets too dark and angsty for you to read go out and frolic in the sun. . Frolicking is good!

Heheh, I just love cliff hangers, doesn't you?

So what did you think of this chapter? Feed back is always welcomed with a hug from my teddy bear!

Liebe, Red Tail


	14. My Best Friend

Author's note: Woo! The next chapter didn't take so long to write! I did it in a hour tops (or two?)! Yeah! I did this because I needed to vent. I think Page-chan agrees with me that some people in our English class are real egotistical mondodismals (a man who takes advantage of a woman; 'Romancing the Stone') when it comes to some things! Gr…okay, here's the next chapter

Note: This chapter is the bridge for twelve to thirteen, which is what the flashbacks are.

Note: Things in _italics_ are flashbacks!

**Innocence Taken**

"How could I be such an idiot!" Duo mentally berated himself, "I **knew** something was wrong but—but I—" His voice choked, tears threatening to spill as he buried his head in arms tightly. 'I was such a bastard—I'm supposed to be his best friend and be there for him but I…' His body racked with sobs and shook, the light drizzle from the clouds hitting the windows lightly like his tears.

_"Duo," Relena questioned, "Why don't we come with you? You know, moral support?" Duo shook his head and flashed her a bright smile while ignoring her request._

"_But why, Duo?" Quatre now looked at him with concern reflecting in his confused eyes, "We could help…"_

"_Heero's never been the most stable of us all, perhaps Duo is wise in going alone." Trowa commented, his eyes softening as he looked at Quatre who was looking like a helpless puppy and nibbling on his lower lip. "Perhaps he can calm him down."_

"_I am, after all, his best friend!" Duo proclaimed, getting a reluctant nod from Quatre and Relena whom wanted to help._

Duo wrapped his built arms around his lithe body, shivering against the sudden chill in the air. The mix of antiseptic and other medicines invaded his senses, wrapping him around the chemical's finger like a drug. He snapped out of his reverie and shivered again and muffling another sob trying to make it's way up his throat.

_"I'll be fine, I'm going to get the truth out of him is all." Duo said with a cheeky smile, waving goodbye to his friends and he made his way to Heero's. The sun seemed to be hiding from him, rain clouds starting to loom over the darkening sky._

"_I'll get to the bottom of this." He whispered to himself, still keeping pace as he made his way to his set goal. "Nobody deserves to have something like this happen to them…" He closed his eyes, trying to get over the morbidly depressing mood that suddenly set over him. "…Not even you, Heero." _

"…Duo?" An apprehensive voice reached his ears and the braided youth barely turned with the energy he once held. It was all gone, replaced by a sudden inanimate person whose feelings of guilt and the burden weighted him down.

"Oh, Duo!" Quatre ran up and enveloped the quivering boy in a motherly embrace, holding him tightly and letting him sob into his shoulder. "Shh…sh…" He soothed, rubbing imaginary circles in Duo's back. "Everything is going to be all right."

"No it's not…" His voice choked again, "…There was so much blood, Quat…he-he was barely breathing! He—he…!"

_"Get a stretcher over here!" A shadowed doctor yelled, pointing at a startled paramedic nearby, who hurried to complete the task._

_Blood, Heero's blood, congealed on the carpet, staining it an ugly brown color as it seeped from the deadly puncture wound. Duo's numb hands dumbly tried to press down on the wound to stop the blood flow. But it did nothing to stop the red lifeblood from staining his shirt, pants, and hands._

"_Blood temperature is dropping!" A doctor shouted .as he tried to stabilize the unfortunate boy. The bruises and other numerous wounds covering his body was a sad sight to all the paramedics helping to save a life. It was obvious the boy had been abused._

"_His pulse's weakening!" Another declared, trying to rescue the boy as much as he could and stop the possibility of death._

"_Get some blood over here!" A doctor called as a stretcher rolled in and the doctor's quickly transferred the teen onto it, compressing the wound as they tried to stop more blood from leaking from his chest. His other wounds, like slash marks that were inflamed with infection had opened, blood leaking out with pus._

"_Is he gonna be okay…?" Duo questioned, tugging lightly on the doctor's white lab coat. The man turned, giving a slow and depressed smile. Duo shook his head, blinking back tears as he seemed to get the point, 'They don't know…'_

"_Come on, let's get you into the car." He led the boy into another nearby medical vehicle, tailing the one holding the next patient to the hospital._

"Don't worry, Duo." Trowa added, putting a reassuring hand on both Duo's shoulder and the nearly hysterical Relena's. His presence seemed to calm him a little bit.

As soon as they had gotten word from Duo about what happened, all of them let with a gut feeling it must have been bad. The braided pilot merely said, 'Come to the hospital' and that was all. Too bad news traveled fast and the police cars in front of Heero's house did nothing to quell the ominous feeling they had.

_"We're loosing him!" The EEG of the heart beat monitor went blank as they hit a rough spot on the road, the car accelerating even more as they raced against time._

_"He's not breathing!" A doctor bent forward sharply, breathing into Heero's mouth as he held his nose. He bent up again, doing compressions as he pushed against the boy's chest despite the still flowing wound, 1…2…3…4…5…breathe! He repeated over and over again, trying to resurrect the teen. 1…2…3…4…5…breathe!_

_"Get a defibrillator system over here!" A female shouted, pointed at a medic who handed her electrical paddles quickly, turning the machine on as the doctor doing the rescue breathing stopped, getting short gasps as the heart slowed down once more from lack of blood._

_"Stop!" A doctor shouted, pushing the paddles away from the shaking boy's chest. "Don't—you'll end up hurting him even more!"_

_"B-but!" The doctor looked aghast, paddles in mid air as the other medic flipped the switch off._

_"He's going into shock!" All heads turned to the patient, eager to help save the boy's life._

Two double white doors opened and all of the four pilots and Relena turned to look at a weary, and obviously exhausted, doctor walk out of the room, shuffling his feet weakly on the cold tile. His shoulder's sagged before he stood rigid once more, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he looked at his clipboard.

"…Doctor?" Relena asked in a meek and weak voice, no one able to suspect she was indeed the strong politician Relena Darlain with her sudden change in personality and behavior.

"Mr. Maxwell and company, I presume?" He questioned, getting a nodding head from all the group members. "We have an update on Mr. Yuy's condition." They could tell from the look in his eyes the news wasn't good.

Dread filled her and she cursed the missed chances to tell him everything. She never even had the chance to tell him she loved him Relena fell to her knees, choking back tears and cries of anguish that were pulled from her soul…

"Even if we can save him, I'm sure that he would need a lot of time to...adjust without the sort of environment he was stuck in. There are self-inflicted wounds on his wrists also which bring some concern to all of us working to care him." The doctor stated, not giving note of the boy's condition and ignoring the sobbing heap of a flaxen haired girl.

"…So?" Duo questioned with a confused shake of his head.

"He'll most likely need some help, therapy, counseling, and possibly even stronger means of treatment." Duo didn't like the sound of that, Heero would rather die than be treated like that. He'd probably get in flashbacks about his training for the war.

"Is there anything other than that possible? Our friend hasn't had the best care at treatment facilities." Quatre replied, lowering his head with guilt and worry to the reckless Japanese brunette.

"I'm afraid not." The doctor aid with a sad shake of his head. He sighed heavily, "We're currently doing the best that we can."

Wufei muttered, "Those bastards that did this will pay." His eyes burned with rage, shoulder's stiff and broad unlike Quatre, Duo, and Relena's whose were sagged and hunched as they felt the pain weight upon them.

The doctor ignored the last statement made and then turned around, walking back through the double doors he had come through. The stench of blood hitting them before drifting away when the doors stopped slamming past one another and stopped moving.

The doctor's words seemed to echo in the awkwardly quiet room, bouncing off the walls and reverberating through each of the party member's minds.

Duo's once cheerful eyes were now downcast and solemn, sorrow tinged deep in his irises like his heart. "But is that enough…?" He whispered to no one in particular.

TBC

Author's note:

I found this chapter so lala (so-so im Deutsche ). This is the bridge to the last chapter (twelve to thirteen) only I planned on doing flashbacks and stuff! I hope it made sense!

Thanks everyone for the great reviews for the last chapter! This story should be coming to an end rather shortly I guess. Perhaps I should put Heero in therapy…? I'd like to see a therapist deal with the past he's lived through.

Anyhow, thanks for the reviews again and Lockea, I hope you get better soon (as I said in Wings of Eternity). Auf Weidersehen!


	15. Therapy?

**Innocence Taken**

One month later:

A woman stepped into the room, clipboard in hand as well as a smile on her face. Heero looked into her eyes and narrowed them slightly as if he was trying to see what she was thinking. Emotions played in the twinkle of her eyes, seriousness mixed in between. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad…he didn't see any pity what-so-ever. Just understanding, and a somewhat sad and distant look in her eyes.

"Hello, Heero." She greeted, that same smile on her face even as she realized he had inspected her as if to see if she was worthy enough. She wouldn't pity him, she knew just how that feeling was, to hate those who didn't understand. They thought 'He was abused, poor thing!' And pampered him.

It wasn't just the abuse; it was the feelings that came with it. The feelings like the abused deserved it, they weren't good enough and listened to the cruel words thrown at them.

"Hn." She smiled again, only more softly with a knowing look in her eyes, so he wasn't the talking type them. She grabbed the back of her rolling chair and sat in it, the leather feeling cold to her skin as she sank into the chair. Under her desk, she kicked off her heeled shoes. People who said they didn't hurt could go and walk around in them like she did. She wiggled her toes around for a minute, glad for the relief before brushing out unseen wrinkles in her business suit. It was an old habit that had yet to die.

"I think we all know why you're here." Heero was silent, not even looking at her. At least the room didn't have anything in it like smile faces saying 'It's all right, the world does love you.' That would be a load of bull"You need to be able to speak about this in court." His thoughts stopped spinning and he shot a side-way glare at her before crossing his arms.

"Heero…" The psychiatrist tried again, looking up from her notes as she leaned back into her chair once more. Perhaps the boy would stop thinking of her as an enemy.

"I don't even know you." She frowned softly, a regretful look in her eyes as she saw him look at some of the bruises still lingering on his arm. During all the time since he had been shot and taken to the hospital after his near death experience, he had been put in numerous places for "counseling".

Perhaps if they knew what went on in some of the places they would have taken him out sooner. Those who are abused sometimes refuse to speak of it. And that silence promised that what went on in some of those four walls would be buried there when the establishment came crumbling down.

"I know you don't even know me," She replied back as she pun her chair to look at him lying on the couch stiffly, avoiding her gaze and piercing eyes. "But that's why we are here, to get to know one another."

Heero remained silent, closing his eyes this time as he remained in the same position, arms crossed and body stiff as a board incase this woman tried anything. His ears were perked, ready to catch even the tiniest bit of movement or noise. She sighed so softly if he wasn't paying attention he might not have heard it.

But it wasn't the exasperated sigh, it was one of the kinds where you regretted something. But she couldn't be, she didn't even know him enough to even think it was all her fault. He hated people like that, trying to act like the world was a problem that was created by them. The only person that even remotely fit well with a personality such as that was Relena.

He stopped that trail of thought immediately.

"I was abused," He opened his eyes, a confused look crossing his face before getting shoved quickly back behind his stone mask. He turned to look at her, not just a glance but now a stare. Her head was lowered and hand massaging her right hand temple. "When I was little by my father."

She looked up and smiled sadly at him, her brown eyes dull as she was lost in the painful memories of her childhood. "He always used to drink, too much. Which is why my mother left for work one day and didn't come home. She left me with him."

Heero remained silent, not really knowing what to say. A heavy pause fell over the room, so thick it was almost tangible. "You should have left too."

"I couldn't. I wanted to make sure that he took car eof himself. He was, after all, my father. The one who always used to lift me up high and make me feel as though I could touch the sky."

"What happened?" Her eyes had begged for him to answer the question, the many years of her memories being kept in for so long it was like a bottle of poison over flowing and ready to tip and spill.

"When my mother left, he drank even more. I wasn't abused physically, like you. I was sexually abused." She replied, "I tried a lot of things, like locking the door. But he found ways to get me to keep it open. My new mother, the one he remarried didn't know a thing, but when she found out she took me and we both left." She smiled again, more sadly this time, "She's the closest thing to a mother that I have."

"Did she die?" Heero questioned after another deafening silence, "You seem sad when you talk about her."

"Oh no," she giggled, a small spark of that twinkle lighting in her eyes again, "She's still alive. I should take you to go see her. She might be able to help you a little more than me, mothers always do know best." Too bad he didn't have a mother to tell him what was right and wrong. Too bad she didn't know that he didn't have a mother. The papers on her desk were records of the previous facilities he had been to before here.

He managed to suppress a shiver running up his spine at the thought.

"I know how you feel, maybe not exactly, but somewhat of the way. If we can't meet somewhere, we should meet an understanding half way down the road." She took out a piece of paper and a pen and looked at him, "Remember," he looked up at her, "Everything said in here will be kept confidential."

"Confidential? All of it?" His eyes showed distrust, something that she could also understand. After all, who would feel comfortable telling someone all about their life and what they had been though. In his case, it could most likely be considered something along the lines of Hell.

"Everything." She reassured and smiled once more before picking up the clipboard and jotting some things down including what emotions he was portraying including distrust. "Do you want anything to drink?" She gestured to the table near him with an assortment of beverages for any of her patients.

He shook his head and she smiled once more before pulling her chair out from under he desk. Heero glanced at her feet and hid a smirk, she was almost like Relena. Whenever no one was looking, or at least that's what she thought, sometimes the former Queen of the World would kick off her heels and just prop her feet up on her desk and enjoy the very few moments of relaxation she had.

She sat in the chair flipping back some brown strands of hair hanging over her shoulder. Sometimes it was a pain how long her hair was, reaching a little past her shoulders. She snorted as her hair stuck to the back of the leather chair with static and giggled nervously as Heero raised an eyebrow. "Well," she began as she tried to loosen the tension that was slowly draining between the two of them, "Let's start off with how you were placed in your foster parents' care, shall we?"

"Une." Heero simply said, "We had to complete High school and so we were given foster families to support us."

She nodded, and blinked when she remembered something. Sakura always did manage to forget at least one thing, "What does Une have to do with this?" She tried to ignore the fact that everything sounded like an interrogation, as if he was a military personnel reply as simply and matter-of-factly as possible.

"She's my boss."

"You work with the Preventers?" Sakura questioned as she tilted her head to the side a little bit.

"Hn." That was the most she was obviously going to get out of him from that subject.

"How old are you?" She questioned, scribbling some more on her paper.

He shifted on the chair a little bit with uneasiness. She knew he worked with the Preventers, but jobs like that were usually for people out of high school or at least out of collage and in the working career. "Sixteen." He replied. She nodded and wrote something down. He tried to ignore the sounds of the pen scraping against the paper, sealing his fate and writing every simple aspect about him down.

'Stop it.' His mind seethed, 'Gain control.' He commanded, 'Remember, his mind taunted, 'You're _perfect_.' His mind spat out the word 'perfect' with dislike as if it was venomous. Then again, considering how his whole childhood ran around in the means of trying to reach perfection, he had a right to hate the word and it's meaning.

"All right," She said with a sigh of relief, already written down the basics about her newest patient. "So, let's start off with something a little deeper than personal info, okay?" She got a minute nod from him and smiled despite herself. She wanted to help his so bad, and there was nothing wrong with that at all.

"Heero," Her voice took on a serious note as she stared between her clip board and the teen to try and not make him feel uncomfortable. "Were you ever sexually abused."

A silence filled the room and she dared to look up to see him staring at the wall silently, as if ignoring her and acting as if he was dead. His body was tense once more and his hands were clenched at his side, she could see thin traces of blood from where his fingernails clenched into the fleshy part of his palm so tightly.

She gulped heavily, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. "I take that as a yes." She silently said as she shot a worried glance at the teen ignoring her stares and her words, closing into himself and not wanting to come out.

"Do you want to talk about it?" No response. She faintly wondered if he was going into shock.

"I hate to tell you this, but it really helps to get some things off your chest." She added despite his silence. "Were you sexually abused numerous times?" Se got the faintest of nods. "By your parents?"

Then there was a pause, he closed his eyes, body still tense like a spring ready to go off. "It wasn't just your parents," she leaned forward, and her eyes were cold and calculating with all seriousness etched into them. Something was here, a big secret of some sort and he refused to speak of it…of any of it. She knew how it was, and she knew it would drive him to depression if he didn't speak of it and let everything out.

She looked down at her records once more and took note of the decline in his state after he was removed from each facility over and over again, "Heero, what did those other facilities do to you?"

TBC

Author's note: Sheesh. The internet died when I was going to upload and then it wouldn't save all the reviewer comments I made ;.; Oy, not I have to get my other stories uploaded before I get kicked off the computer again.

Hopefully, this chapter was good enough for all you people. Thanks to those who reviewed and those reading this story :huggles: Comments and feedback is always loved.

Hopefully, the next chapter will come as easy as this one did. I got around to writing chapters for most of my stories! Woo! A reviwer response will, hopefully, be up on the next chapter.

Thanks again to those who reviewed and/or reading this story!

in Liebe, Red Tail


	16. Interlude

Author's note: Short, yes, I know. U.u I wasn't feeling that inspired to write this chapter. It's an interlude, so it's not nesessarily required for the story line. I have to say that the Therapy chapter is my favorite. Only 'cause I'm weird.

Innocence Taken, Interlude

The room was dark, like it always had been. Dust bunnies hid under the sparse furniture, like it always had been. The young child lifted his hand to cough in his mouth, head feeling like a pillow was shoved under it. He felt his forehead once more and shivered at the warmth radiating in waves from it. The room was both hot and cold. He looked around the room and saw what—or better yet who—he was searching for. Mother.

"Mother?" He questioned, coughing once more as he stepped into the room. The dark blob on the bed moved and another figure beside it stirred also. Mother's boyfriend.

"Hm….?" His mother groaned, lifting her head off the pillow a mere inches before plopping back into her sprawled position on the bed, a couple of her limps entangled with her love.

"Mother," Heero was by her side now, looking at her with his prussian eyes. "I don't feel really well." He knew better than to complain and especially when Mother and "father" were asleep, or doing whatever it was that they did in their bedroom.

"Brat." His mother muttered, arm untangling from her boyfriend's arm to reach on the bedside table for something. She felt her fingers wrap around the base of the lamp.

Heero took a step back and ducked with wide eyes as the lamp went hurtling towards him, shattering into millions of pieces on the wall behind him. Some scratches appeared on his arms and he coughed once more, getting dizzy from the sudden movement.

"Wha waz zat?" Tom opened his eyes and blinked in confusion, anger rushing through his veins at being woken up by that brat of a child that the bitch had.

"Mama…" He dodged another object thrown at him. "…Please, mother!" He tried once more, pleading with her.

"What's wrong with him?" Tom grumbled, throwing his feet over the side of the bed.

"He says he doesn't **feel** well." Heero's mother replied with exasperation and tinges of fury still lacing her words.

"Couldn't he have gone to that person…" Tom grumbled, glaring at the brat on the floor as he got to his feet but not before stumbling and swaying a bit.

Heero stared at his family, wishing that he had gone to Joselyn down stairs. She was always kind to him and looked after him. But he always had to come home because Mother had threatened to hurt Josie if he ran away.

"I got something that'll make him feel better." He handed a syringe filled with a clear liquid over to his mother and Heero stared at the needle, shivering at the menacing presence it held.

"Mama…" She walked over to him, roughly dragging him out from the bedroom and into the hall. She lifted his arm, pushing him down onto the floor roughly.

"Please don't!"

"It'll make you feel better, now shut UP!" Jabbing the needle into his vein, she pushed the injection into his blood stream. All of it.

The door was thrown open, police walking into the room with Joselyn behind in the hall looking worried and fearful. She was a kind old woman of fifty, caring more for Heero than any ever could of his real family.

"We got a report from this woman here that disturbing noises…" The policeman's eyes wandered over to Heero and his mother, holding the needle in her hand and looking wide-eyed at the police.

Heero's eyes dilated and his breathing became harsh. His fingers twitched, the over dose of the drug rushing through his veins faster than a speeding train.

The policeman's partner ripped his radio off his utility belt as Josie rushed in to check on Heero who didn't respond to any of her words or tender touches.

The first officer pulled his gun out of the holster, pulling the needle out of Heero's arm as he pointed the barrel of the weapon at his mother. She moved over to the other side of the wall, still wide eyed.

His voice came out in a snarl, "What did you give him?"

"Something to make him feel better." She hotly replied with a glare after the shock of the sudden storming of her home wore off. The gun pressed against her chest menacingly, reminding her to choose her words wisely.

"It's heroin." A short halted breath escaped the lips of the officer with the gun pointed at the woman. He glared at the mother and then the neglected child.

"Call an ambulance, ASAP!" Sirens were heard as the information was replayed over at the police station.

"We're gonna need to flush his veins or something!"

"He's going into shock! Get some meds up here!" The police offers bent down, trying as best as they could to help the drugged and abused child.

TBC


	17. What Happened You Ask?

Author's note: What can I say…I feel compelled, and guilty about not updating all weekend and not really typing anything else for my stories so I'll try and make this one a little longer than my other updates and since I know that y'all like this story, I'm trying to make it a little special for all you reviewers as a thank you for reaching 160+ reviews:huggles readers:

Reviewer response(s):

**Twitchyfingers**: Ah, yes…I'm terribly sorry about that. I'm trying to find the flashback chapters so that I can fix 'em up and name them interlude so if you find the chapter number, can you tell me in a review or something so I can fix that? I reread it a while ago and mentally noted to fix it but it got lost in all the work I had to do for school. Glad you like the story!

**Heero-Yuui**: Ah, yes…the heroine…hehhe….snickers… . UPDATE YOUR STORY! I wanna read the sequel :sniffles: when you do update it, tell me! even though I have you on my watch-list thingy I still wanna know :glomps: I loved your first story!

**Charliechaz**: Woot! I have a fan :huggles:

**PureAngelEnchantress**: Yep, I thought so too and I hope that this one was a little longer, I felt sad that I haven't been making long chapters so I'll try to make them a little longer since I know how it feels to read something and haveit cut off short **:ahem: Looks at Heero-Yuui:**

**Ketsueki-Ken**: Thank you so much :huggles:

And now…I'm too lazy to write more responses…blah…

Love, Red Tail

**Innocence Taken**

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

Some people were the types that couldn't take the silence—Sakura was one of them. She had been raised in silence, the opening of a mouth and flow of words from her tongue earning her a harsh slap and rather rough beating. She was lucky she received counseling, despite the fact that loosing her virginity to her own father still forever scared her.

Perhaps like this young boy, Heero.

Blinking back the tears that tried to surface in her eyes, she shook her head and brushed away some loose strands. The bubbling of emotions long buried beneath her were resurfacing with an unexplainable intensity. Perhaps it was the case that was bringing up such things? Usually she dealt with people having self-inflicting problems or disorders of some sort. But this case, this case struck closer to home with her.

She looked down at her clipboard.

'Heero Yuy, age seventeen. Self-infliction problem'…The list went on, stating the many problems with the troubled but withdrawn teen. 'Former soldier, harsh upbringing and until recently under abusive household. Both mother and father.' That much was a shock, that small sentence.

'_A very rare case_,' she mentally added to herself, '_but there are more than one ways a parent can be abusive_.' But perhaps it wasn't the fact that both her abusive, but it was the fact that they were foster parents.

Just who in their right mind would send a teen already scarred into that of an abusive lifestyle?

She shivered when she looked at the many tallies on the suicidal count. More than five times he had tried to kill himself. And the report didn't end there.

The medical examination given by a doctor named Sally Po, with the help of a Karnagy or something. The name was scribbled in with haste obviously. She didn't even read the medical report, already knowing enough of the gruesome facts.

The brunette youth was obviously out of control and almost so far deep in depression that nothing could save him from his next suicidal attempt. Not even herself or his friends who had done all this to him.

The records showed the increase of erratic behavior and withdrawal from humans and even contact with another person after he was slowly removed from one facility and placed in another over and over again. And each time he was removed, he seemed farther from help and farther from the light shining in the darkness of his world.

She lifted her hand and rubbed her face, sliding it down as an exasperated sigh heaved from her. She looked at Heero over the tip of her clipboard and the teen was staring at the whitewashed wall. Probably lost in some memory judging by the distant look on his face. And if only those harmful and painful memories weren't there to begin with.

She felt at loss for what sort of trauma could possibly inflict such a deep scar and wound on one so young. And she shuddered to think of the possibilities.

The white walls struck a chord in him, reminding him that he could never be free of the memories that suppressed him and threatened to drag him under, never be able to breathe or live again. It was suffocating and the feeling wouldn't go away, there was always a pressure in his head or his chest that reminded him it wasn't a dream.

A pinch wasn't needed to wake him up. All he had to do was look at his wrists, feel the emotional scarring and the feeling of hands slithering over his body and harsh words whispered in his ear, swearing to secrecy and promises of never telling people.

The room was dark—perhaps that was to be expected. There wasn't a chill in the air, the temperature moderate and neither cold nor warm. Heero shivered despite himself when the door creaked close behind him by one of the silent attendants that walked him here. The people here obviously didn't trust him. He glared at the bed, his gaze strong and so intense it could have burned the sheets.

And he looked up to feel a small draft of air coming from a shaft above him head…reinforced with Gundanium no less. His eyes went a duller shade of prussian. His friends didn't trust him. Tears that weren't coming to his eyes blurred his vision and even though he kept his stony face inwardly, the feeling of pain and rejection welled up inside of him. It added to his even more inner turmoil. They had left him here, all alone by himself in a place farther from the people he at least felt a little safe around. People that he could put names to.

The small duffel bag full of his meager belongings fell with a muffled thump onto the thinly carpeted floor. The room was scarce. There was a bed, simple and not elegant. There was a bedside table that basically resembled a block of wood and then there was a lamp hanging from the ceiling. No other objects. Not even a window. It was just a small, small…He felt dizzy and tried to breath, resting his hand against the wall as he tried to get a hold of his surroundings. The walls closed around him.

The door creaked open and he looked up, head jerking in a sudden motion as he was caught unaware. And a person walked in, the door closing with a resounding click and the lock being set in place. The person was his doctor, dressed in the standard white garments that somehow reminded him of the lab coats from people in his nightmares.

Why did he have such a bad feeling about this…?

Heero snapped his head up; thoughts getting sorted once more as they cleared and he stared at Sakura, looking back at him expectantly.

He continued to stare at her and she to him.

She looked at him and lowered her head, shaking it a couple of times and then looking up once more, pen poised above her notepad, "I just want to know what the facilities did to you."

He looked away, fighting back the chill slowly ebbing down his spine as his hand shook a little. He clenched it into a fist to stop the uncontrollable quivering and hid all emotions that tried to surface in him. He remained quiet and his silence spoke volumes to her.

It told her he was never going to tell.

Clenching the poor pen that happened to be in her grasp, the woman cursed the damned souls that did this to someone so young and tender. They should forever burn in hell. Her gaze was strong enough to burn a hole into the papers jotted with notes here and there in freehand.

Damn them, damn them all.

"Heero?" She questioned, clenching her teeth and hissing out breath to try and pretend it was a release to her anger and frustration.

He glanced in her direction, otherwise showing no interest in her or what she had to say. It was irrevalent to him either way, whether she spoke and tried to "help" him and "cure" him, or to simple pretend like a actor and collect the money Quatre was giving out to people.

His expression darkened, if not only his eyes. He was a waste to society, used and old. He was unwanted and Quatre shouldn't have wasted his money to place him in facilities that reminded him of everthing from the doctors touching him and their cold stares that screamed at him silently.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."

What happened?

What…happened… He lared at her words and closed his eyes, trying to calm and control his breath and stop the unwanted visions and images striking at him like a baseball bat to a ball.

The night was warm, surprisingly enough. His "mother" was gone, off to drink alcohol and wine with her friends while playing card games and gambling amongst themselves and speaking of their woes in life.

He snorted, like she _had_ any woes to being with.

So that left him with his foster father. Alone. And that itself was not a very good equation or mix between the two. Like fire and gasoline…and well, you get the picture.

So it only started out with a couple of his old college friends, his dad's that is. And some alcohol, until it turned into more. Beer cans littered the floor and table.

The rest of the night was blurry, one of his father's friends insisting, then forcing the depressant into his system. It bruned down his throat and he gagged reflexively as more and more was forced down.

He had a hangover the next morning…but it was the first time he felt emotion even relating to fear. He was naked, in his father's bed with bruises and red marks on his neck and some parts of his body. His lower back and body was sore and a arm wa spossesively wrapped around his abdomen.

Then he turned over and heaved over the side of the bed, the realization sinking it like dead weight in his mind.

"Heero," Sakura tried once more with pleading eyes, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." She tried once more but nothing would work. He woudn't be swayed or faltered from his descision. Her words weren't helping at all and it only seemed to affect him more, unearthing more and more unwanted memories.

He brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them as he laid his head down on them, tensing his body as he tried to will away the haunting that causedhim nightmares in his waking and his dreaming.

He gripped his head, struggling to bite back the feeling and meories washing over him and clenched his eyes and teeth together. His breathing came in pants and gasps.

Hands slid over his body, brushing in unwanted places and doing things that they weren't supposed to. His eyes were wide and his breathing irregular, head tilted to the side as his body was sprawled weakly on the bed, chest heaving up and down.

The click of a belt being snapped back into place reached his ears and he thanked whatever god that could hear his silent pleas that it was finally over. He shivered inwardly as his mind replayed what happened.

"_We can all be friends with each other as long as you don't tell anyone._" And with those words, the door was closed, the light's turned off and shadowing the room in darkness and dull shades of gray and a dead black color.

A lone tear trickled down his cheek as he tried to curl up into a ball on the ruffled bedsheet and fight back the pain consuming his body and his soul.

He gave up fighting a long time ago.

_Arms restrained him and he jerked his head the other way as a mouth tried to plant a rough kiss on his own lips. They landed on his neck instead and he gasped in pain as teeth bit into his skin, breaking the flesh and causing a small trail of blood to trickle down. His shirt laid discarded on the floor, torn from his flesh in an even more rough manner._

_Lips slammed against his, a tongue plundering into his mouth and made him gag, trying to pull back as the faint tinges of bile crept up in his throat. 'Oh god..oh god!' His mind screamed, flashes of the night of the "party" and the alcohol smashing against his mind._

_He tried to scream but the mouth against his prevented it. Tears spilled from his eyes. And he thought he couldn't cry anymore…ironic, isn't it?_

And he tried to tell himself he wouldn't cry anymore because Duo had told him a long time ago that boy's didn't cry. But...no matter what happened, it seemed that nothing ever got better and more and more tears fell until they stopped coming.

Because, he was already dead to the world and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

TBC

Author's note: Wow. Did I write that? -.-' Gee, I'm turning into an even more morbid person.

Okay, here's a note to all of you people. I want you to let you know that if anyone is suffering from abuse, either sexual, physical, or verbal TELL SOMEONE! No one has to put up with that crap and know that you aren't the only one and it's NOT your fault at all! Also, if you self-inflict pain upon yourself, get help. The world loves you and it's not a better place without you.

Love, Red Tail


	18. Accusations, Part I

"What is this place?" Heero questioned, looking around with wary eyes as he looked at the apartment complex gated off by the busy city around it.

Heero couldn't help but flinch every time a person's body brushed against him, making him feel sick. He was expecting a punch or a slap, or something to punish him. Every time that he had been touched recently meant pain and nothing seemed to change anywhere he went.

Sakura looked at Heero and smiled, "This is my mother's place. We're going to stay here for a couple days, a week maybe."

All she recieved back was silence.

She did, however,noticed the way the boy tensed at her words. She couldn't stop herself from sighing inwardly, she hoped that her mother would be able to help with the whole antisocial and people problem he was going through before he withdrew into himself again.

"Hn."

She laughed and he didn't even look up to see what she was laughing about.

He snorted, figuring that she realized that he was just a loss cause. Quatre was wasting his money on him, something he felt guilty about. It was all his fault, closing he eyes he could feel a icy pit in his stomach, making him sick again. He clenched his fists, grabbing his stomach and trying to stop the swaying he was feeling—everything was his fault.

"Heero?" Sakura questioned, turning back with a questioned look at the youth who stopped. She gasped, rushing back to him, high heels clicking on the cement. It seemed to be the only sound in the worldother than Heero's heavy breathing and the distant sound of cars.

"Are you okay?" She touched his shoulder, feeling his muscle tense, but she didn't withdraw her hand. She looked at him and saw he was clutching his stomach, something that he had been doing ever since he entered her care.

She looked towards the building, seeing the door of her mother's apartment already, first floor. Taking a deep breath, 'That makes it easier.' She noted and then turned back to Heero.

"Heero, we're close to the building, do you think you can make it?" She questioned, looking with worry at her charge. She saw him give her a small nod and she grabbed his arm, guiding him quickly over to the room quickly.

His face paled.

_A man chuckled, looking at him with beady black eyes hidden by spectacles. He gripped Heero's arm tightly, laughing when Heero tried to pull out of his grasp. _

_"Now, now." The man growled, tightening his grip of Heero's arm to make the former soldier's muscle tense, bringing more pain. He tried to relax the muscle, but his whole body was tense, sprung like a rubber band ready to be shot at someone. _

_He grinned, colder this time and Heero could feel the man's eyes trail over his body, the marks that he made on him acting like anchors, holding him down. _

_Why wouldn't Quatre listen when he said he wanted to go home? _

_Somehow, he felt betrayed that they wouldn't listen to him. The doctor kept telling them things… "I guess it's time for your check up."_

Heero could feel the bile climbing his throat, praying that Sakura's mother would hear the pounding on the door before he ended up throwing up on her doorstep, something she wouldn't be pleased with at all.

The door opened and Sakura spouted apologies to her mother while dragging Heero in as fast as she could towards the bathroom. She kicked open the door and let Heero go inside, closing it behind him.

"What was that all about, dear?" Sakura looked up, blinking back the tears that were coming to her eyes. She could hear the retching noises, knowing Heero was already heaving over the toilet, throwing up what little she had managed to get down him without him throwing it up.

Taking a deep breath, she started, "I don't know… he's having trouble holding food down and he's loosing a lot of weight, but I'm not a doctor, just a mind one." She put a hand to her forehead, "He can't stand a sickness right now, he's just too weak." She said.

Heero rested his head on his arms, his back pressed against the wall facing the toilet. He wiped at the sweat on his cool skin and shivered at the feeling, memories of not-so-pleasant times choosing now to start assaulting him.

As he calmed down, he heard Sakura's last sentence drift to his ears and felt sick again, "_He's too weak._" His mind froze, as well as his body.

She was right—he was weak, insignificant to the world. He was a useless soldier not needed for anything but battle, and now that the battle was over…what was he to do? Simply wait for another battle, or to alleviate the world of his uselessness and threat to the peace everyone worked hard for.

His shoulder's sagged as he realized what a burden he was to everyone around him, just a sore spot out of everyone else. 'I'm sure that everyone would be better off without me.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Innocence Taken_

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Accusations, Part I_

"Heero?" Sakura questioned, looking with kind eyes at the brunette who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring at the white wall with nothing on it. His eyes were distant and dark, almost sad as he blinked slowly. Coming out of his trance-like state, Heero didn't bother wasting energy to look over at his current caretaker.

Did they think he needed baby sitting because he was different? Because he was _worthless_?

The woman shifted, looking at Heero, waiting for his reply or for him to at least acknowledge her presence. He did neither.

"Are you feeling better."

He shook his head, not telling her that the dinner he had tried to eat wasn't actually in his stomach. He tensed when he remembered the feeling of… she shivered.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He snapped, wanting her and everyone else in the world to just leave him alone. Was that too much to ask for? Just having himself in the darkness that had always been there for him. Unlike people, the darkness never went away and never expected things from him.

He didn't want the world to worry about him ever again. There was an icy feeling coming over his body, numbing him as he forced away thoughts of how he once felt warm around his friends, his comrades.

But not anymore.

As if there was a string, hanging perilously in a violent storm, the thread snapped. Heero cut himself from everything. He didn't care. They didn't need him—even to save the world. There were the other four pilots, and Relena could fend for herself.

They didn't need him.

"…Heero?" Sakura knelt down besides her charge and gently touched his shoulder. He jerked away from her touch. Heero's eyes didn't meet hers, but his words did.

"Leave me alone." All thought process stopped upon his words, causing her to freeze and then blink as if she was thinking through tar.

"Heero," she fiercely said, "I'm not—"

"Just. Leave." His words were icy, holding no room for argument. She couldn't help but wonder what turned this child into an adult so soon. She had never seem a smile, even an eye-smile on his face. Never.

"You should get some rest." She whispered lightly, getting up from her spot next to him and walking over to the door, walking out and closing it to give him privacy.

"Damnit." Heero punched the wood of the floor, his fist connecting sharply. Tears that wanted to fall didn't, clinging to his eyes.

"_Follow your emotions."_

"Heero," Sakura whispered, leaning against the closed door as she listened to him. "I just want to help."

"Damnit." He punched the floor again, louder this time, "Damnit!" He screamed, "Why the hell did you have to leave me here!" Ever since Odin had died, his life had been taken from him, held in someone else's hands to do what they pleased.

He was just their toy, an old and useless toy that now had no meaning in this world of peace.

"Who?" Sakura whispered, knowing that there was more to Heero than the abuse that led him here, to his state. Frowning she added, "Who left you Heero?"

Silence met her, offering nothing in return. She left, walking down the hall to the vid phone, deciding it would be best to have a little meeting with Mr. Winner to discuss what he and his friends knew of Heero and his past.

Heero was blessed by sleep, empty of dreams and just a black void that offered him solace.

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"Heero," Heero remembered Sakura telling him, "I need to have a meeting with one of my other clients. It'll probably last all afternoon, so if you want Mother can take you out to the city to walk around."

"Hn." Was his response.

So, here he was, walking through the streets with Sakura's mother well, mothering him, as they past by shops. Some they went in, buying some items and trinkets here and there, then going on through their visit.

Obviously, the city was more of the shady side so Sakura's mother stuck close to Heero, glaring at any of the "drunken bastards" as she called them that eyed him.

"Ah!" Sakura's mother stopped at the door of a bar.

"What is it?" Heero found himself questioning, wondering what an old lady like her would want from a bar. It wasn't as if he was legal to drink…

"Karaoke!" Then, with her happy shout, she dragged Heero with her to bar, happily humming ever once in a while.

After picking a song and hopping up on stage, much to the crowd of drunken people's enjoyment, Heero was left alone in the crowd.

The stench of alcohol next to him, too close to him, made him shiver as he felt someone touch him. His body froze.

"Hey there, beautiful."

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"I need know everything that you know about Heero and his past." Sakura explained, looking at each of the pilots, minus Heero, and had her pen poised over her notepad in the normal fashion.

"Why?" One of the pilots, Duo, her mind supplied, questioned with a suspicious look at her. It seemed that all of them had grown up before their time, acting more of an adult than she despite their age.

"I have a feeling that the abuse that Heero's endured isn't only affecting his condition." Sakura said professionally.

"What makes you think that?" The one that reminded her of Heero in his silent manor, Trowa, questioned. His eyes were just as piercing as the other boy's also, though not as intense a shade of color.

Sighing, she ran the hand not holding her notepad through her hair with exasperation, "I heard him say something." Duo snorted, not believing her. Quatre gave him a pointed, reprimanding look. "Call it a hunch?" She tried.

"What do you need to know?"

"Well, Mr. Maxwell, can you tell me how Heero acted before all of this happened?"

"What's there to know? He was antisocial, a daredevil, emotionless, a perfect soldier, suicidal—"

"Excuse me," Sakura interrupted, leaning forward, "Did you say that he was suicidal before all this?"

Duo nodded, "Yeah. If some of the things that he's done isn't suicidal, then I don't know what is."

She couldn't stop herself from frowning. "And you didn't do anything to get him help—counseling perhaps?" She couldn't help herself by adding that question.

Duo seemed to explode with her words of accusations. "Well, ya know we were kinda in the middle of a goddamned war, lady!" He jumped from his chair, eyes flaring, burning a hole into her.

"Duo!" Quatre shouted, jumping from his chair also, but stopping in mid-step when Wufei stood up calmly to intercept Duo from making any problems with the lady.

"Calm down, Maxwell."

Duo threw a punch at Wufei, getting it caught in his hand easily. He obviously wasn't trying to hurt his friend, simply venting his anger and frustration.

"We're all worried about Yuy." Duo lowered his head, as if ashamed. His bangs hid his eyes from everyone.

"I'm sorry if I was making an accusations. I forgot what all of you have been through." She apologized, eager to get back to the point of her meeting with the pilots.

"It's okay," Quatre replied, speaking for all of them, "Where were we?"

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When Sakura's mother stepped off the stage with a smile, she looked at the spot where Heero was supposed to be and stared. The key word was supposed to be.

"Heero?" She questioned over the music of the next singers, wondering just where the boy had gone.

Frowning, she bit her lip and couldn't believe that she had lost him. What would Sakura say? She grabbed her purse, pulling out her cell phone ro dial her daughter's number.

She wandered towards the exit, which led out into an alley and walked out. Keeping her eyes straight forward, her feet got tangled up in something and she fell, catching herself before she hit the dirty ground.

When she saw what he had tripped over, she dropped her cell phone as Sakura's worried voice came over the phone.

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Back in the nearby meeting place, Sakura picked up her happily chirruping phone playing a middi of 'Just Communication' and looked at the display screen to see her mother's name. 'Odd.' She thought, wondering why her mother would call unless she got locked out of her apartment.

However, she had a foreboding feeling as she flipped open the phone. Hearing nothing on the other end, she questioned, "Hello?" Thinking possibly it was a misdial or wrong number.

No response.

Sakura bit her lower lip, wondering why she had been called and what was going on. She was worried that Heero may have been injured or hurt…

"Mom?" The other pilots looked at her, noting the worried look on her face. She frowned, calling her mother's name again before she heard a loud noise, making her jerk her ear away in pain.

"_Someone call 991! Help!_" The pilots heard over the phone, each of their body's stiffening upon the woman's last words, "_Hang on, Heero!_"

Then, there was nothing but static.

TBC

Author's note: I understand that it's short—I'm gonna work on that. XD What did you think of the chapter? I'm not going into much detail on all the rape scenes and stuff 'cause it's already pretty dark and all…

So go out and play in the sun after reading this! 

3 Red Tail


	19. Accusations, Part II

Regret.

It ate away at Duo, slowly chewing away at him as he waited by the small cell phone, knowing that it was the only, and closest thing, that they could connect to Heero with. So, after the sounds of sirens and the abrupt disconnection, they had waited minutes that seemed hours.

Even though, he found himself blaming him once more for not being there for his friend before all of this turned into something more. Then, there was the little voice whispering to him from the darker shadows in him, telling him that it was that woman's fault. She could have called them and answered their questions, she didn't have to make Heero go to the city.

Duo could tell he wasn't the only one worried, Quatre nibbling his lower lip, which meant sure stress. Trowa was as stoic as ever, almost like Heero in that aspect. They were always the silent types. Wufei was so tense that you could throw a brick at him and it would probably bounce right off him.

Much as he wanted to test that theory, he left it alone. Now was not the time for the Jokester Duo, but silent and worried, the true and loyal friend Duo.

"What?" Wufei hissed, noticing Duo's eyes longer on him for longer than the other two. "Maxwell daring not to make a comment?"

Sakura looked up, glancing between Wufei and Duo before lowering her gaze once more.

It was none of her business, the same thought running through the other pilots (well, at least Wufei and Duo) mind.

"Only for you, Wu!" Then, Duo blew him a big raspberry, grinning all the while.

Wufei's face turned red with indignity and he clenched his fists, anger rolling off of him in folds. "It'sWu_FEI_ MAXWELL!" He all but growled like a bulldog defending it's territory.

"I never did like bulldog's." Duo blinked, looking up to see the confused look on Quatre's face, the amused expression nestled in Trowa's emerald green eyes, and then the furious Wufei, who thought he was being compared to a bulldog.

Oops, did he say that out loud?

"Oops is right, Duo." Duo turned his gaze back to Wufei.

"Uh…guys?" Sakura whispered, knowing it wasn't her place to speak, but not wanting the guys to fight it out. She knew that they were mad at her, placing the blame of this situation on her. She knew she had to take the responsibility, even though it wasn't really all her fault.

Wufei pointedly ignored her and Quatre, well, he gave her a sympathetic glance. "There's no use trying to stop them." Trowa nodded at Quatre's words, not really being a man or teen of words.

"Why?" She found herself questioning, the word slipping through her lips, uncontrolled.

"Why that they fight? It's a good way for them to get it out of their systems. Plus, they seem to be closer now. Wufei knows it's in Duo's personality to joke around."

She found herself staring with wonder at the blonde, shifting her gaze to look at each of the individual heroes that helped end the war. Awe wasn't something she was used to, but this was amazing.

These four children had thought themselves against one another, even the simplest or meanest thing that they seemed to do to one another seemed to mean something else, a silent oath of some sort.

"Eh heh…" Duo scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously as he looked at Wufei, whose temper had grown so much that he almost resembled a steaming tea kettle. "Not that I'm comparing your to one…"

Ah, the perfect way to start a new day.

Then, the cell phone happily started ringing.

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Innocence Taken

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

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Accusations, Part II

Heero found himself struggling—not to stay conscious, but rather the opposite. He didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to stay in the sun and let it warm him numbingly cold skin, make him feel something he didn't want to feel.

Why wouldn't everyone just least him alone?

The only person that he even enjoyed the company of now was his forever best friend, or more like friends, the shadows. They didn't look at him with pity and regret. They weren't afraid to touch him.

Was he dirty to them? Because he was to himself…

"No!" Tears clung to his eyes, refusing to fall for which he thanked. He refused to crumble, to fall back into the light. He could see it, calling him away from the darkness.

Shadow fought off the light, wrapping around him until he sank into the tight and numb embrace. He couldn't feel anything, just the way he liked it.

The light flickered like a candle, dimming to a hazy yellow and slowly, it turned to gray, then black, and disappeared.

Only then did Heero relax, feeling at peace.

The world could, and would, go on without him.

Back on the shuttle making it's way to Heero's new location, Duo clenched his fists in both anger and frustration.

He had managed to close his eyes for a short while, calming himself down from wanting to hit something really, really badly, when a feeling of dread washed over him. He couldn't help but think it had something to do with Heero—or was.

If he had a choice of which he was chose for his friend, neither would be the case. His eyes snapped back open and he placed his forehead in his palms.

"Why can't we just live in peace?" He knew the other pilots were looking at him, each knowing how he felt and what he was talking about. It seemed that every year something had come up, from Mariemaia to this.

Not only that, but the situations were getting worse, more targeting them. Not to mention the hate letters they still received, muffling all of them on how in the world people managed to find them.

Duo never realized just how much those letters of hate and loathing, each expressing why and how in sometimes gruesome details, had an effect of Heero. He was always cool and collect, but Duo knew that Heero hated his past, probably more than any of them though he never spoke of why.

Sometimes, when he and Relena were talking, she would mention little bits of useless information of Heero's past she had managed to dig up or find.

He closed his eyes once more in memory, allowing himself to think back to those times when everything seemed so much more simpler. They were enjoy freedom—something that they hadn't had since the war, and even before while they were being trained to defeat OZ and bring the world back to order.

Someone up there had to give them credit, whether it was the God of Death or…well, yeah, whoever else was up there, for only having five teenagers help end the war.

That would be a good thing to put down on the resume.

Duo found himself chuckling darkly at the thought. He peeked open an eye to see a small glimpse of Quatre giving him a wistful smile. Ah the power of reminiscing.

He looked over at Wufei and drummed his fingers, having no where or anything to use for his output of energy. "Hey. Wu, what time is it?"

Wufei peeked an eye open, looking with his narrow and stern gaze at the braided American. "It's Wufei and we have about ten minutes until we reach landing. The hospital is near the airport."

"Why'd they do that?" Wufei shrugged and went back to meditating, not feeling the need to fight with Duo during the end of their flight.

Duo couldn't stop himself from sighing and shifting in impatience. They hadn't wasted any time when they had gotten the call that echoed through the house, so quiet someone could hear a bullet shell fall to the grass as if it fell on marble.

Relena had been informed and she was rushing just as they were, hoping that the thread holding Heero in place break in the perilous cliff he found himself hanging off of.

The two of them prayed for Heero and his safety, knowing it was pointless to try and fight one another for Heero's heart. There was a mutual understanding between the two, allowing the to…bond perhaps? The war, or at least the little skirmishes were at a stalemate for the moment.

They wouldn't risk such a danger to their breaking friend or loosing that friendship over their feelings.

"Can this shuttle go any faster?" Sakura froze when Duo's angry gaze landed on her. She fought a shiver, failing miserably.

"Duo…" Quatre reached forward, hoping to calm his raging friend, feeling the turmoil and fury radiating off of him in a tangible feeling through his 'Space Heart'. "Please."

His eyes held as much of a pleading tone as his voice. Duo ignored that, and him, leaning forward in his seat instead. "Why do you even care?" He didn't leave any room for her to speak or protest, "You're the one that thought 'it'll be great for him to go into the city!' miss 'I'm smarter than you cause I went to college and all that other—"

"Duo!" Hands on hips, Quatre looked like a scolding mother. Duo pouted and crossed his hands.

Sakura mumbled something and Wufei looked up, "What was that?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion. Inwardly, however, he found himself sighing—so much for the thought of not having any fighting or problems on the remainder of their flight.

"I said, 'You're right.' It was my entire fault for this situation for happening in the first place. If I hadn't assumed he was well enough to be out of—"

Trowa turned to look at her, raising his hand to halt her from speaking forward. The other three pilots were staring just as attentively at her as the stoic auburn. "Are you saying that Heero was sick?"

She nodded, eyes drifting down to hear an odd sound and flinched, visible enough on her face when she saw Duo clench the chair of the shuttle so much that you could see traces of it bending.

So the rumors were true about the Gundam pilots—not that she didn't assume it wasn't. Looks could be deceiving and the Winner heir was proof enough of that…

Heero wrapped his arms around him in the darkness, feeling the hands of that man that slammed him against the alley wall touch him like the doctors, telling him crude things saying words like 'slut' and 'whore'.

He felt the tears prickle on hiss eyes before disappearing, eyes wide as his breathing hitched, rocking himself back and forth on the balls of his feet. He knew this wasn't real. He didn't have to relive it. He didn't have to…

And, then there was the pain…the fiery pain that grew like flames from his backside, hurting more than the broken glass and the cigarette, hurting more than the words that cut like knives into his soul.

He tried to think of something, not wanting to relive the moment as the man threw cash in his face, whispering something in his ear and smirking. He knew he cried, the money remaining untouched a he shakily tried to hold onto whatever he had left.

Then, he realized, "I have…nothing…" His eyes were blank, no emotion except…acceptance to what was happening, to what happened. "I am nothing."

He felt something breaking in him as the wind blew against him, blowing off into the wind as the pieces traveled away, far from his pleading eyes.

Perhaps what broke was his sanity, or something more…

TBC

Author's note: Sorry it was so short…just got back from a birthday party and I'm dead tired…stayed up past two in the mornin'. Lots o fun though…sorry for the wait, I felt guilty about leaving the chapter like that.

Thanks everyone for the reviews! These chapters are kind of a bridge to what is going to happen. XD

Love, Red Tail


	20. Court

**_Innocence Taken:_**

"All rise." All of the people in the room--plantiff, defense, jury, and witnesses--stood. The people involved in the trial went through the same routine and motions, preparing for the gruesome case today. The judge walked in, elegant as ever.

With a nod to the people in her room, she seated herself. The other occupants sat down without much sound, situating themselves and waiting for the first person to make their move.

Then, the trial began--slowly, but surely...

"You cannot allow this," one of the defenders in the courtroom announced, showing his disappointment with what was happening. Jack Hall was not a very happy person at the moment.

The person on the other side, defending two well-loved people in the community stood, glancing at the person before looking at the judge. What that a smirk Jack saw on Kate's face?

He almost let a growl emit from his throat before he remembered this was a court of law—do not get personal feelings into matters like these. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, slowly trying to drain the growing tension from his body.

"Your Honor," Kate calmly said, a defiant and proud gleam in her eyes—as if she knew she was winning the case—"There isn't any evidence that suggests that this abuse happened because of my clients actions."

"It was in the police reports!" Jack interrupted.

The judge glanced at Jack, sending him a warning look. He swallowed his retort, knowing that it wasn't helping anyone, not even his client who probably didn't even know he existed.

He was hired by the state to defend an abused child in this court and they didn't even have the said abused child in the court to begin with.

Kate shot Jack a scathing look—"Information can easily be twisted—" Jack narrowed his eyes, 'Yeah, bitch—like what you're doing now!' He mentally retorted. "—There shouldn't even be a case if the abused child isn't here to prosecute my clients."

The judge paused, "That is true." There was another pregnant pause, longer this time. "All evidence is not valid unless the witness comes forth onto the stand—which is obviously not happening."

Jack looked at the empty chair beside him and cursed like a sailor in his mind.

The world seemed to freeze for a moment.

The gravel was lifted before it fell with a loud 'crack' that filled the room. The ruling was given—"Mr. and Mrs. Dave and Julie—" Kate smirked, giving a victorious look to Jack—"Have been given custody of Heero Yuy." The judge stood, letting go of the gravel, "Court dismissed."

And that was the end.

TBC


End file.
